Grand Mall of Beersheba

Grand Mall of Beersheba, officially covered by the Wikipedia title Grand Canyon Beersheba, is a major shopping and leisure center on Road 25 in Beersheba, Israel. It is also marketed or described under the names Grand Mall and Ofer Grand Canyon. The center opened on May 23, 2013, on the former site of the Neot Midbar Hotel, and became a prominent retail destination for the city and the wider southern region of Israel. The mall is part of the Ofer Group portfolio and is owned by Melisron Group. It was initially developed through a partnership involving the Sabag Group and Melisron, with Eli Lahav holding a significant share during the development and early operating period. In May 2016, Lahav sold his 50 percent interest to Melisron. The transaction made Melisron the sole owner of the center and strengthened its position in Israel's shopping-center and commercial-property sector. Contemporary reporting valued the transaction at approximately NIS 500 million for the acquired stake and placed the implied value of the entire mall at about NIS 1 billion; these figures relate specifically to the 2016 ownership transaction rather than to current financial performance. The center occupies approximately 160,000 square meters in total, including around 50,000 square meters of commercial space, and contains roughly 250 stores. It is notable for its considerable interior length, reported at approximately 273 meters, and has been described as one of Israel's largest shopping centers by interior size. Its tenant and service mix includes fashion, sportswear, food and beverage, cafés, a market, and other general retail categories. The upper level combines fast food with entertainment and leisure uses, including a video arcade and a gym. Architecturally, the mall was designed by MYS Architects. Its oval, dual-wing arrangement is intended to improve sightlines to shops and permit flexible interior layouts. The building uses aluminum panels, natural stone, ceramic glass, and skylights to create a contemporary public interior with substantial natural light. The design drew inspiration from modern Israeli shopping-center formats, including the Ramat Aviv Mall in Tel Aviv, while adapting the concept to a large regional center in Beersheba. Grand Mall of Beersheba functions less as a conventional product brand than as a destination and commercial platform. Its value proposition is based on concentration: shoppers can access retail, dining, everyday services, family entertainment, and fitness in one large complex. Its location in a residential part of Beersheba and its scale make it an important retail hub for the southern Israeli market. Publicly available reference material does not establish a separate standalone corporate identity, current executive roster, or independent stock-market listing for the mall itself.

Grand Canyon Beersheba was developed as a large-scale shopping-center project in Beersheba, a major urban center in southern Israel. The site had previously been occupied by the historic Neot Midbar Hotel. Development was associated with the Sabag Group and Melisron Group, with Eli Lahav also holding a 50 percent interest during the project's ownership history. The center opened on May 23, 2013, after a multi-year development process. Its arrival significantly expanded the organized retail and leisure offer available in Beersheba. Rather than operating as a single-store retail brand, it was conceived as a destination complex containing a broad tenant base and multiple activity types. The approximately 160,000-square-meter building includes about 50,000 square meters of commercial area and roughly 250 stores. Its tenant mix covers clothing, sportswear, food, cafés, market shopping, and other retail and service activities. The upper floor adds fast-food, arcade, and gym facilities, extending the center's role beyond ordinary shopping. MYS Architects designed the building using a modern mall format. The oval plan and two-wing arrangement were intended to make stores more visible and allow adaptable interior circulation. Large aluminum panels, natural stone, ceramic glass, and skylights contribute to the center's contemporary appearance and daylight-oriented interior. The design was influenced by established Israeli shopping-center models, including Ramat Aviv Mall, but was applied on a much larger regional scale in Beersheba. The reported interior length of approximately 273 meters reinforces the project's emphasis on size and capacity. A major ownership change took place in May 2016, when Eli Lahav sold his 50 percent stake to Melisron Group. The reported purchase price was approximately NIS 500 million, implying a total mall valuation of about NIS 1 billion at the time. After the transaction, Melisron became the sole owner. The center is operated within the Ofer Group's shopping-center portfolio, connecting it to one of Israel's significant commercial-property networks. The mall's strategic role is regional. Located on Road 25 in a residential area of Beersheba, it serves local residents as well as visitors from the broader southern Israeli market. Its combination of retail, dining, entertainment, and fitness makes it a multipurpose destination rather than a narrowly defined shopping facility. Public reference material does not provide a complete chronology of tenant changes, marketing campaigns, operating results, or named mall executives. It also does not establish a separate public-company listing for the mall itself; ownership is attributed to Melisron Group.

• 2016

  Melisron becomes sole owner

  [1]Grand Canyon Beershebaen.wikipedia.org

  Melisron Group purchases Eli Lahav's 50 percent interest, consolidating ownership of Grand Canyon Beersheba.

• 2013

  Grand Canyon Beersheba opens

  [1]Grand Canyon Beershebaen.wikipedia.org

  The shopping center opens on May 23 on the former Neot Midbar Hotel site in Beersheba, bringing a large retail, dining, and entertainment complex to southern Israel.

• 2013

  Large-scale retail complex begins operations

  [1]Grand Canyon Beershebaen.wikipedia.org

  The newly opened center begins operating with approximately 50,000 square meters of commercial space and around 250 stores within a much larger building.

A large regional shopping and entertainment destination serving Beersheba and southern Israel, combining broad retail coverage with dining, leisure, and fitness uses in a modern, high-capacity mall.

• Shopping-center retail · 2013

  Retail stores

  The center provides a broad retail environment of approximately 250 stores. Available categories described in reference material include clothing, sportswear, market shopping, and other general merchandise. The mall's scale allows shoppers to combine everyday purchases with destination shopping and access to multiple branded and service-oriented tenants in one complex.

• Food and beverage · 2013

  Dining and cafés

  Food and beverage uses form an important part of the center's destination offer. The mall includes cafés, dining venues, and an upper-floor fast-food area. These facilities support longer visits and broaden the center's role from a transactional retail location to a combined shopping and social destination.

• Entertainment and services · 2013

  Entertainment and leisure facilities

  The upper floor includes leisure-oriented facilities described as a video arcade and a gym. These uses complement the retail and food offer and provide activities for families, young visitors, and customers seeking fitness or entertainment services during a mall visit.

• Real estate and mall services · 2013

  Commercial leasing platform

  Beyond its consumer-facing stores, the center is a substantial commercial property with approximately 50,000 square meters allocated to commercial space. Its business model therefore includes accommodating and managing a large tenant ecosystem within a regional shopping-center destination.

• 2016

  Melisron consolidates ownership of the mallM&A

  Background

  Grand Canyon Beersheba had been developed and held through a partnership structure involving Melisron, the Sabag Group, and Eli Lahav. Eli Lahav retained a 50 percent share during the early operating period.

  Action taken

  Melisron Group acquired Lahav's 50 percent stake in May 2016, making Melisron the sole owner of the shopping center.

  Aftermath

  The transaction gave Melisron full control of a major shopping-center asset in Beersheba and further integrated the property into the Ofer Group commercial portfolio.

  Purchase price for 50 percent stake and implied total mall valuation. Approximately NIS 500 million purchase price; approximately NIS 1 billion implied total valuation (May 2016 transaction)

  Source

1. 1Grand Canyon Beershebaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Grand Mall of Beersheba official pagemyofer.co.il
3. 3After 3 years and NIS 900 million: The Grand Canyon Mall in Beersheba opensthemarker.com
4. 4The Consumer Magnifier: Grand Canyon in Beershebaxnet.co.il