Ljubljana - An expanded Supernova shopping centre in the Ljubljana's shopping district of Rudnik welcomed first visitors on Wednesday. The EUR 70 million investment created 800 jobs and will significantly expand the already large retail district to include new bars and restaurants, seven cinema theatres, two entertainment parks and a gym.

The work on the project started in the autumn of 2020, when ground was broken for a multi-storey car park between the Supernova and Eleclerc shopping malls and the expansion of Supernova.

The car park opened last summer and the expanded and renovated shopping centre opened today, featuring 109 shops, 19 restaurants and bars, seven cinema halls, two entertainment parks and a gym, Mojca Prošek from Supernova told the press today.

Currently, 95% of the new bars and restaurants are occupied and will welcome first visitors at 7pm tonight. The whole shopping centre will be open until midnight tonight for the grand opening featuring concerts, including by Austrian electronic music producer Parov Stelar, and a fireworks.

The new facilities have been built in line with the latest environment and security standards, and the complex also features outdoor climbing walls and playgrounds for children, and two sports fields.

Addressing the opening event via video link, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said the centre brought new contents to Ljubljana and the wider area, opportunities for raising consumption, had a multiplicative effect on the economic growth and could be seen as an example to other investors.

The Supernova group, based in Graz, Austria, entered the Slovenian market in 2002 by opening two shopping centres in Ljubljana and Koper. Today, it owns 24 shopping centres around the country. The one in Rudnik opened in 2008.