With work on the exterior of Stará Tržnica complete and the interior scheduled to be finished this spring, another developer is planning to build on the success and forge a bond with Bratislava's old market hall.
Devel s.r.o. has bought Central Passage, a five-storey building adajacent to Stará Tržnica, and plans to develop it into a multi-functional building that will draw people both to and from the reopened market next door.
Ľudoviť Kaník of Devel said that Central Passage's 4,000 square meters of shops, offices, and perhaps even apartments will compliment the retail outlets of Stará Tržnica. He said he aims to connect the two buildings on two floors, thus creating "one complex with four entrances." "The influence of Stará Tržnica on our passage will definitely be positive. Opening Stará Tržnica will bring more people into the passage."
Milan Vajda, the spokesman for City Hall, which owns Stará Tržnica, said that the City welcomes the cooperation.
While Vajda said City Hall is already receiving bids from potential tenants for Stará Tržnica, Kaník said that the development of Central Passage is not yet at that stage. He said that reconstruction of Central Passage will start in mid-1998 and be complete in two years. But Kaník said Central Passage will attract rent prices of more than 10,000 Sk per square meter per year, which he called "typical for that location and for the quality that the space will be." He said Central Passage will feature escalators and air conditioning.
