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And so it was that on November 30, 2017 that a new chapter opened in the history of the Georgian capital. The old Univermaghi building had finally been restored and rebuilt into an ultra-modern, fancy, new shopping mall: Galleria Tbilisi. However, Galleria will be more than just a place to shop, for it is also a culture and entertainment center equipped with two theatres and two cinemas too. International brands like H&M, Calvin Klein Jeans, Armani Exchange, Lagerfeld, Lacoste, Guess, Trussardi, United Colors of Benetton, IKKS, BNG, Delfy, Roman, and NYX are among the names set to be represented, some of them opening their stores for the first time in Tbilisi and Georgia. Of special note is an Apple official premium reseller too.
“The fact that there will be so many international brands represented speaks to the fact that there’s a high level of trust to Georgia as a country, and it has to be mentioned that 90% of products used in construction are produced in Georgia,” Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili told attendees at the opening ceremony.
Additionally, Griboedov Theater, Liberty Theater and Freedom Square metro are set to be integrated into the plaza, together with an underground carpark with a capacity close to 300 cars.
Mayor of Tbilisi, Kakha Khaladze, echoed the sentiments of the Prime Minister, thanking Mr. Ivanishvili for “rejuvenating the life of Tbilisi city; for bringing back a favorite place to the citizens. The tradition will continue. We look forward to welcoming guests, citizens and tourists to shop here.”
The PM went on to say “I would like to thank the co-investment fund who finalized this massive project, and also Bidzina Ivanishvili, who took over this project and completed it after it was abandoned for so many years. The co-investment fund has nine projects under its belt, within the fields of agruculture, energy, production development and the tourism development fund, with eight projects amounting to an overall value of $640 million. The overall value of the co-investment fund amounts to almost $2 billion USD. Within all of these projects, there will be 20,000 jobs created in our country”
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