New mall to be built above the metro in the capital at the intersection of Kerepesi út and Hungária körút

An important step in the development of the Puskás Ferenc Stadion metro station area is the newly announced major investment in Chain Bridge Ventures Kft.. The company will build the 29,000 m² Centralé, designed by the Bánáti + Hartvig architectural firm, which will include shops, offices, a hotel, service spaces and a food court.

The multi-functional building complex will be built directly adjacent to the stadium and the Papp László Sports Arena and, according to the investor's press release, will serve local residents, office workers in the area, transit passengers and visitors to events.

The facility is located in the centre of the XIV, X and VIII districts, in the middle of the Hungária körút office corridor, next to the Puskás Arena. The lightweight steel-framed building, with modern technical and energy-saving solutions, will be located on top of the metro. The complex aims to achieve high level BREEAM certification.

It will also include a large green roof, which will be one of the largest commercial green roofs in Hungary, covering more than 5,000 square metres.

Expected to be completed by 2026

On the ground floor, nearly 6,000 m² of space is expected to house 40 shops and service outlets, including a supermarket, drugstore, pharmacy, banks, telecom and beauty services, while the first floor will house a food court of more than 2,000 m². It will also be equipped with a terrace: the bright, large-capacity space will also serve as a meeting place before and after sporting events in the area.

On the top floor of the building, on the Hungária körút side, there will be a modern office tower of nearly 5000 m², while on the Puskás Arena side there will be a 170-room 4-star hotel.

The building will provide parking for 100 vehicles, but the complex will also be directly connected to the 1000-space car park of the Papp László Sports Arena. The facility is expected to be completed in 2026.

Tenants found for 50% of the complex before construction even starts

"We recognized the trend that people are constantly on the move, looking for fast, convenient solutions, so we designed Centrale to be a compact community space that is adapted to the urban lifestyle, and also an everyday convenience centre for Zugló and its surroundings" - pointed out Beni Gagel, business partner of the Centrale project and Chain Bridge Ventures Kft..

He stressed: "In a challenging economic environment, the market and the potential tenants we are discussing the project with all understand the strengths and future potential of the Centrale. This has enabled us to achieve a pre-lease of nearly 50% before we even had planning permission. We will make further announcements on this in the near future."

How the metro station and the surrounding area is developing

An important element of the project is the development of the Puskás Ferenc Stadium metro station, with new entrances and escalators leading directly to the street level, the commercial space of the complex.

The close cooperation with the BKK allows investors to minimise the inconvenience caused by changes in traffic patterns. Public areas will also be upgraded, including the complete renovation of the public circulation area on Hungária Boulevard and the conversion of 2500 m² of the gravel parking and pavement area on Youth Road into a green park. In addition, a cycle lane will be created along Kerepesi Street

- the information note says.

The result of long preparation

"Already when the renovation of the Papp László Sports Arena was announced, I knew that sooner or later the Puskás Arena would also be renovated. The area has great potential: there is value to be gained from unused land on top of a public transport hub, as complexes built on top of transport hubs are becoming increasingly popular around the world. I set out to realise my idea, but the legal and technical nature of the project made it a long and complex process involving several public authorities. The project required perseverance and a broad vision. I would like to thank all the parties involved, namely the State, the Municipality of Zugló, the BKK organisation, the Municipality of Budapest, the State Secretariat for Sport of the Ministry of Defence and many others"- said Michael Gagel, business partner of Chain Bridge Ventures Kft..