The end of August saw the first birthday of Timisoara’s Iulius Town, Atterbury’s first development in Romania with Iulius Group, its joint-venture partner. Iulius Group Asset Manager Sebastian Mahu looks back at an extraordinary year.

Iulius Town was revolutionary in that it was the first-ever mixed-use development in Romania, not so? How have the residents of Timisoara responded to this new offering – would you say it has become a favourite shopping/entertainment destination?

When it opened in August 2019, Iulius Town came with both a redesign for the old concept Iulius Mall, but also a new location covering many new destinations. While Iulius Mall was already the preferred shopping destination for people in Timisoara, Iulius Town has become a central location for the whole region, including parts of Serbia. With the new park and connection to the city centre the project has become a beloved destination for both locals and tourists. The seamless mix between indoor retail options, entertainment destinations and outdoor recreational facilities has many residents saying once again that Timisoara is a unique city in Romania, and maybe even Europe.

Which element of Iulius Town has made the most impact in the community, in your opinion? What are the “most popular” facilities that attract the most feet?

The park itself, built to a state-of-the-art standard, has become the focal point for visitors. Little things like the way plants, sitting areas and green gazebos fit together, is what makes people want to spend time with us. At one point, a duck family moved in and settled at our pond, which attracted many families from across the city. This is one of many small details that attracts people to a location completely different from your standard brick-and-mortar malls. Having a plaza for events has also proved to be a great anchor, with a variety of events being hosted. Lastly, although not flashy, the underground car tunnel has made life for people in Timisoara a lot easier, impacting positively on everyone’s life by giving back three to five minutes per day to anyone using it.

Your target audience for Iulius Town was not confined to the surrounding community, but also shoppers from neigbouring countries Serbia and Hungary. Did you see a cross-border shopping culture start to develop in the first months before COVID-19 hit?

The pandemic hit us too soon to be able to draw some clear conclusions regarding this topic. Nevertheless the feedback we have had from our retailers confirms that the percentage of foreign tourists has increased compared to before the new mall opened.

Speaking of the pandemic, how have the tenants held up under the challenges presented by the regulatory restrictions?

One of the things we take great pride in is the flexibility and responsiveness of our teams. This is why we managed to act quickly and provide our tenants with the facilities and solutions to help them throughout the entire period. Today we can proudly state that our food court and restaurant area in Iulius Town is one of the best food destinations in Timisoara.

One imagines that due to the pandemic there was no opportunity to celebrate the first birthday, but do you have any special plans for the coming festive season?

No matter the outcome, both the community and ourselves need to adapt to the new realities. Because of the location and the strengths of the project itself, we are fortunate to be in a position to make the most of the situation. For the next festive season we will once again focus on the outdoor destinations, while offering the best shopping experience in a safe and friendly environment.

What are your priorities at Iulius Town for the rest of 2020, going into 2021?

With the last stage of our opening plan finalised recently, involving the first VIP cinema in Timisoara, in 2021 we will focus on refreshing the tenant mix while adding new relevant destinations for the community. We still have a few surprises up our sleeved for the entertainment area that we believe fit perfectly with our current situation.