Under the arches

As attaining prime plots in Poland's cities becomes more difficult, the renovation of existing buildings is becoming increasingly popular. Factories in Łodz are being con-verted into offices and shops. An old brewery in Poznan is to turn into a business/cultural centre. And now the arches under Warsaw's Poniatowski bridge are to house a unique shopping centre made up of small retailers and craftsmen. In 1998 a company called Niezalezny Most won a tender to develop the arches under Pon-iatowski bridge (on the side which leads into Al. Jerozolimski) into a collection of small retailers. Construction by gen-eral contractor Budner got underway in 1999 and now the scheme is expected to open in May this year. There was a hiccup in July last year when Niezalezny Most ran out of money, so a group of 80 small retailers got together and formed Stowarzyszenie Kupców i Rzemieslników Arkada (the Arkada Association of Retailers and Craftsmen), to act as developer. The associatio