Grosvenor Fund Management (GFM) has announced that Merlin Entertainments Plc (Merlin) will open their first LEGOLAND® Discovery Center in China at Parkside Plaza, Shanghai, in 2016. Parkside Plaza was acquired by GFM on behalf of the Grosvenor Vega China Retail Fund in 2010.
Parkside Plaza is a 126,000 sqm family-oriented community mall. Anchor tenants include a Tesco supermarket, a 1,600 seat cinema and retailers such as H&M, C&A, Uniqlo, Esprit and Mango. Parkside Plaza’s restaurant offering includes a variety of international and local Chinese cuisines.
GFM currently has £3.2bn of assets under management across Asia, North America and Europe. The retail sector is a strategic focus across these regions and 73% of the international portfolio is retail assets. This includes Liverpool ONE in the UK, a portfolio of 31 historical buildings in the heart of Lyon, France and the recently acquired Skarholmen shopping centre in Stockholm, Sweden.
A LEGOLAND® Discovery Center is a unique indoor attraction offering a fun, highly interactive and educational 2-3 hour experience specifically designed for families with children 3-10 years old. It consists of a range of exciting LEGO® play areas including brick pool, LEGO® Factory Tour, LEGO® model car racing area, master classes from the LEGO® Master Model Builder; Party Rooms, a fun LEGO® ride; a 4D cinema, and MINILAND exhibit which features replicas of Shanghai landmarks out of LEGO® bricks.
