Laying of the foundation stone for Designer Outlet Hautmont
Jean-Michel Pacaud, Chairman of JMP Expansion SA, & Stephane Wilmotte, Mayor of Hautmont.
Designer Outlet Hautmont celebrates ceremonial laying of the foundation stone with representatives of the developers, operator and local authorities
The two-phase project will have a gross-lettable area of 20,000 sqm and include 120 fashion & lifestyle brands at reduced prices, as well as leisure, food and further customer services
The future outlet village represents an investment of €80 million and will create 450 jobs
On Wednesday, June 30, the first step for the development of Designer Outlet Hautmont took place. The project aspires to become the new aspirational Franco-Belgian ‘village de marques’ in the north of France in the heart of a large green leisure zone.
Cornerstone event
Jean-Michel Pacaud, Chairman of JMP Expansion SA and the Mayor of Hautmont, Stephane Wilmotte, laid the foundation stone for Designer Outlet Hautmont.
Also present at the event were Gerhard Graf, Founder & Managing Director and Mireia Rodríguez Burguera, Head of Leasing, both of ROS Retail Outlet Shopping, one of Europe’s leading outlet operators and appointed management company for this unique project.
Additionally, Benjamin de Saint-Thuil, President of the Agglomeration Community Maubeuge Val de Sambre, Anne-Laure Cattelot, Member of Parliament for the 12th constituency of the Nord region, and Corinne Simon, Deputy Prefect of Avesnes-sur-Helpes, among other personalities, were present.
Project in two phases
The event officially kicked off the 18-month construction project with the development of the first phase of the village, which will have a gross-lettable area of 20,000 sqm. The future Designer Outlet Hautmont will host 120 fashion & lifestyle brands 30-70% off, all year round, restaurants and cafés, 4 hectares of leisure and nature activities, sound and light shows, a dedicated e-commerce platform, and much more.
“Today we begin a new journey, as Designer Outlet Hautmont is closer to becoming a reality. Designer Outlet Hautmont aims to express our vision of a new shopping destination that meets the growing customer demand for conscious shopping and in harmony with nature. We are convinced that Designer Outlet Hautmont has all the elements to become the favourite shopping and leisure destination for French and Belgians”, said Jean-Michel Pacaud.
An attractive catchment area between France and Belgium
Located 15 minutes away from the Belgian border, its strategic location makes Designer Outlet Hautmont an attractive cross-border shopping destination. Right between Lille, Saint-Quentin, Charleroi and Brussels, the outlet village has a total catchment of more than 9 million inhabitants within a 90-minute drive time, 61% of them being Belgians with a strong purchasing power.
A sustainable and ambitious project in Northern France
The future Designer Outlet Hautmont represents an investment of €80 million and will create 450 jobs in the heart of the Northern part of France.
Designed by the ROL architecture studio of Jérôme and Elodie Rol and the urban planner and landscape designer Résonance led by Aurélien Adam, the ‘village de marques’ aims to achieve the BREEAM certificate for sustainable buildings and design, as part of its commitment to environmental responsibility.
The premium outlet village will be managed by ROS Retail Outlet Shopping, one of Europe’s leading outlet operators, which manages 10 outlet shopping destinations across 7 EU countries. Opening of Phase I is scheduled by the end of 2022.
