Frunpark

Frunpark is a shopping centre located in Wetteren, a municipality in the Belgian province of East Flanders. It sits at the corner of the Brusselsesteenweg (N9) and the Oosterzelesteenweg (N42), a crossroads historically known as 'Bourgondisch Kruis', just east of the village of Kwatrecht. The centre comprises 16 retail units with a total built area of approximately 11,000 m², arranged around a dead-end street and a central car park with two access roads onto the Brusselsesteenweg and Oosterzelesteenweg. A free car park provides space for 380 vehicles. Frunpark was built by project developer De Vlier and opened in March 2008 on a site previously occupied by commercial and industrial buildings. Local traders objected to the construction in 2007. In 2014 the Belgian real estate investment trust Retail Estates acquired the shopping centre, and in 2016 it also bought an adjacent plot with a view to expanding southwards towards the Oude Heerbaan with eight additional shops. Those expansion plans met with opposition from UNIZO in 2018 as well as from all local parties and mayor Alain Pardaen (CD&V), partly because of traffic problems associated with the centre; the plans were not carried out. In 2020 the entrance on the Oosterzelesteenweg was redesigned at the expense of the owners and the Flemish Community so that vehicles can only enter from Oosterzele and only exit towards Wetteren. As a retail destination, Frunpark hosts a mix of fashion, footwear, home, health-and-beauty and consumer-electronics chains. Tenants named on the centre's website include C&A, HEMA, Ici Paris XL, JBC, Lola Liza, Pronti, Sleepworld, Sports Direct, Torfs, Vanden Borre, Veritas, ZEB, Atita Papierwaren and Babylon. The centre is marketed as a 'fun shopping center' and regularly runs promotions and collection campaigns with its retailers, such as JBC's 'Born To Win' competition and Torfs' used-shoe and clothing collection drive. Frunpark is owned by Retail Estates, which leases the retail units to the individual operators; several other commercial businesses are located around the centre.

Frunpark was built by project developer De Vlier on a site in Wetteren that had previously been occupied by commercial and industrial buildings. The shopping centre opened in March 2008. Its construction had been contested in 2007 by local traders. The centre is located at the corner of the Brusselsesteenweg (N9) and the Oosterzelesteenweg (N42), a crossroads traditionally called 'Bourgondisch Kruis', east of the village of Kwatrecht. It contains 16 retail units with a total built area of 11,000 m², arranged around a dead-end street and a central car park with two access roads onto the Brusselsesteenweg and Oosterzelesteenweg. In 2014 the company Retail Estates bought Frunpark Wetteren. In 2016 it also acquired an adjacent plot with the intention of expanding the shopping centre southwards towards the Oude Heerbaan with eight additional shops. In 2018 UNIZO lodged an objection to those plans, and all local parties as well as mayor Alain Pardaen (CD&V) opposed them. One of the reasons cited was the traffic problems caused by the shopping centre: the entrance and exit on the Oosterzelesteenweg had 'for years caused controversy and unsafe traffic situations', with fatal casualties as a result. The expansion plans were not carried out. In 2020 the entrance on the Oosterzelesteenweg was modified at the expense of the owners and the Flemish Community, so that vehicles can only enter there from Oosterzele and can only exit towards Wetteren. Retail Estates remains the owner and leases the retail units to tenants. Several other commercial businesses are located around the Frunpark centre.

• 2020

  The Oosterzelesteenweg entrance is redesigned so that vehicles can only enter from Oosterzele and exit towards Wetteren.

• 2018

  UNIZO and local parties object to the expansion plans; the plans are not carried out.

• 2016

  Retail Estates buys an adjacent plot with a view to expanding the centre southwards with eight additional shops.

• 2014

  Retail Estates acquires Frunpark Wetteren.

• 2008

  Frunpark opens in March 2008, built by project developer De Vlier.

• 2007

  Local traders object to the planned construction of the shopping centre.

Neighbourhood shopping centre marketed as a 'fun shopping center' with a convenience-oriented tenant mix and free parking.

• Fashion and apparel retail units

• Footwear retail units

• Home and household goods retail units

• Health and beauty retail units

• Consumer electronics retail units

• Stationery and paper goods retail units

1. 1Frunpark Wetteren | Jouw fun shopping center in Wetterenfrunparkwetteren.be
2. 2Frunparkwikidata.org
3. 3Frunpark (Wetteren)nl.wikipedia.org