In March 2022, the Nikolsky shopping center in Kharkiv was hit by a missile strike, which led to a fire on the fourth floor. Immediately after the incident, rescuers successfully localized the fire, and fortunately, there were no visitors or staff in the mall at the time of the explosion, so no one was injured.
What happened as a result of the explosion
"The damage caused by the missile was significant. It destroyed the ventilation chamber on the fifth floor and penetrated two more floors. The dome, the facade, and almost half of the climate and ventilation equipment were seriously damaged. The glass structures on the facade and multimedia facade screens also suffered significant damage," – says Anatoliy Shkriblyak, president of Budhouse Group, the development company that manages Nikolsky shopping center.
Inside the mall, the explosion completely destroyed the atrium fence, many glass shop windows, the second to fourth floors, multimedia screens and decor. However, thanks to the perseverance and work of the team of Budhouse Group, Nikolsky mall began restoration in the spring of 2022.
Restoration process
The first stages of work were aimed at restoring the underground floors, where the Silpo supermarket and parking lot are located. The team managed to open the ground floor in just two months, and on June 17 last year, the first and second floors were already operational. In the fall of the same year, the mall celebrated the opening of the third (October 21) and fourth floors (November 18).
Today, Nikolsky shopping center is gradually recovering its performance compared to the period before the damage. The mall's vacancy rate is only 0.3%, with virtually no vacancies. More than 60% of tenants have already exceeded their turnover figures compared to 2021. The center's footfall is 80% compared to the same period last year.
"This is quite a good performance, given that air alarms account for 15-20% of the shopping center's working hours," – emphasizes Anatoliy Shkriblyak.