TrefBox Venlo reopens after seven-month refurbishment

Mitiska REIM, the leading specialist investor in European convenience real estate, has announced the reopening of TrefBox Venlo convenience retail center following the completion of a seven-month refurbishment plan.

Located in the city of Venlo in southeastern Netherlands close to the Dutch-German border, TrefBox Venlo was acquired on behalf of the MEREP 3 fund in partnership with Everglow Real Estate in November 2024.

In April this year, construction began to reconfigure the center into a state-of-the-art convenience retail hub for the city and wider cross-border catchment area. As part of the refurbishment plan, the interior and exterior of the original 1970s structure have been completely renovated to bring in a new internal layout, new convenience retail units and an optimized tenant mix.

TrefBox Venlo now features 17 retail units with a gross leasable area (GLA) of 12,400 m². The existing grocery-anchor Albert Heijn XL and tenants C&A, Kruidvat, Xenos and Gall & Gall have been joined by new tenants which include Action, KiK, Takko, Hema and Van Haren.

The roof and facades of the center have also been renovated, and new sustainability initiatives include the installation of LED lighting throughout the center, the introduction of green leases with tenants, and plans to install 1,200 solar panels on the roof area, with the center now targeting a “Very Good” BREEAM certification.

TrefBox Venlo is situated in an established commercial zone with parking for more than 1,100 cars as part of a wider complex of 60,000 m² retail space, and has direct access to the A67 motorway which connects the Netherlands and Germany. Because of its strategic location, footfall comprises a mix of local, regional and cross-border shoppers.

Bram Thomas, Mitiska REIM’s Managing Director for Belgium, the Netherlands and France, comments: “TrefBox Venlo is a great example of an unloved asset in which we saw huge value-add potential. The center enjoys a strategic location within the Netherlands and close to the German border, with more than 1.2 million consumers within a 30-minute drive. The refurbishment plan we have enacted over the past seven months has transformed TrefBox Venlo into a modern, successful and sustainable grocery-anchored retail center, and realized the full potential of the asset.”

Heino Vink, Partner of Everglow Real Estate, adds: “The completion of works at TrefBox Venlo marks another significant milestone in our joint venture partnership with Mitiska REIM in The Netherlands. We are committed to extending this partnership with further value-add retail projects in the coming months.”