The Circle Mall will be Nigeria’s first convenience center, with its unique combination of high-grade retail and office space in a single development
The center made up of the Circle Mall and Circle Business Centre is located at the Jakande Roundabout on the new Lekki Toll Road,Lagos, Nigeria. Developed by the experienced RMB Westport team (who brought you the Ikeja City Mall) together with Paragon Holdings, designed by one of the continent’s foremost retail architects,Stauch Vorster Architects, and built by one of Nigeria’s best-known construction companies Cappa & D’Alberto– no expense was spared to create this world-class retail and office development for Lagos.
This new development will comprise of 11,000m2(GLA) of high-grade retail space, anchored by Shoprite and approximately 3,300m² (GLA) of state-of-the-art office space which spans 3 floors with 1,100m2 floor plate. Each floor is sub divisible for up to four tenants each occupying approximately 275m2 minimum.
The Circle Mall will be Nigeria’s first convenience center, with its unique combination of high-grade retail and office space in a single development, designed to cater specifically for the commuters travelling along the Lekki-EpeExpresswayas well as the communities’ resident in Lekki.
The Business Centre features 75 dedicated parking bays, elegant design features and everything necessary for convenient and streamlined office operations.The retail section features California-style Open Mall convenience shopping, complete with shaded walkways, umbrellas on the fast food strip, cool courtyards beneath the offices, generous landscaping and 373 exclusive parking bays. Lagosians have easy, unimpeded access into the shopping area, midway between the first and second toll gates. Equipped with the best of facilities, this development has a total of 448 parking bays.
“One of the key challenges involved in real estate development in Nigeria is the completion of all required regulatory procedures. This involves, among other aspects, obtaining land transfer and full planning permission approval for the project, RMB Westport’s collaboration with local partner Paragon Holdings helped to facilitate these requirements”, says Michael O’Malley, one of the founding directors of RMB Westport.
At the time of going to press the stage of the Circle Mall project was that the storm water concrete pipes in the car park are installed including the cast columns on the Shoprite toilet slab, and the cast corridor slab of the first floor is complete and steel trusses are fitted in, currently the ongoing reinforcement of the second floor slab and steel trusses should both be completed and roofing are in progress.
Once completed, the center will contribute to the expanding development of the Lekki area, one of Lagos’ key growth nodes. The center will also contribute to the decentralization of Lagos’ more congested areas, by providing the Lekki community with an alternative retail experience meaning that they do not have to travel elsewhere in Lagos for such services, particularly during the weekend. Retailers can also expect very high traffic volumes from the toll road adjacent to the site.
Customers are likely to be attracted by the upmarket styling and finishes within the shopping center. “The development is coming along well and there are the usual challenges relating to Nigeria” said Marcus Ross from Bovell Ross project management without elaborating further.
The Circle Mall will not only offer outstanding services butit will also provide prime office space for businesses on the move. A new shopping experience for the Lekki residents is underway; this development is set to start trading in November 2015.
