- DELOITTE has signed a long-term lease for the use of the “Gateway” building.
- CODIC and IMMOBEL will join forces to develop the “Gateway” project in Zaventem on the site of the old airport terminal. Codic and Immobel were assisted by Jones Lang LaSalle while DELOITTE Belgium could count on the help of its internal team from the DELOITTE Real Estate department.
- DELOITTE will occupy the entire building, erected around an impressive atrium, a transaction that contributes to the success of the “Gateway” project.
2013-01-18 — /travelprnews.com/ — A chronological survey of this symbolic project for the airport…
A unique project at the airport
In July 2012 The Brussels Airport Company entrusted the realisation of “Gateway” to CODIC: a unique office development project at Brussels Airport. The project includes the overall redevelopment of the former office building adjacent to the old terminal. Sabena, the former Belgian Airports and Airways Agency as well as part of BIAC and Belgocontrol used to have their offices in this U-shaped complex. This renovation project will connect the – as yet still empty – office building with the current airport terminal, which according to reports is one of the most efficient and comfortable terminals in Europe.
The redevelopment not only includes a thorough renovation of the existing structure, but also the construction of an additional wing to turn the U-shape into a more efficient closed entity built around an exquisite atrium. The “Gateway” project is a nice example of a sustainable renovation project that respects the original concept. The new office space will accommodate 2,000 members of staff.
The exceptional situation of the building is one of its major assets: it is located in the very centre of the airport, on top of a railway station with high-speed and intercity trains, in the immediate vicinity of the country’s largest bus station and with a permanent offer of taxi services. Over 610 daily flights, 19 million passengers a year, 140 trains and 1,000 buses a day, as well as 17,000 parking spaces on the airport site make Brussels Airport one of the business locations in Belgium that can boast the best connections.
Gateway is the first step in the development of the roughly 400,000 m² “Airport Village” which – following the example of developments in other countries including the “World Trade Center” at Schiphol, the “Square” in Frankfurt and the office developments around Munich airport – aims at the gradual establishment of offices, meeting facilities, conference centres and hotels.
A CODIC/IMMOBEL partnership and a prestigious tenant
CODIC and IMMOBEL will join forces to develop this project for which a long-term lease was signed end December by CODIC, IMMOBEL and DELOITTE.
Thierry BEHIELS, CEO of CODIC, and Gaëtan PIRET, CEO of IMMOBEL, explain:
“A tenant such as DELOITTE offers the exceptional opportunity, for us as well as for The Brussels Airport Company, to develop a highly visible building tailored to the needs of a well-known tenant, a true ‘flagship’ that meets the most advanced environmental standards and technological requirements.”
Arnaud Feist, CEO of The Brussels Airport Company: “We are very happy to be working on this project with professional and reputable partners such as CODIC, IMMOBEL and DELOITTE. This renovation is a nice example of the sustainable conversion of a historic building and restores one of the iconic buildings at the airport to its old lustre. With this project the airport proves its potential for this kind of commercial developments.”
Rik VANPETEGHEM, CEO of DELOITTE
“Companies today are undergoing major changes, and the New Way of Working is on the rise. Employees themselves are requesting more flexibility and better mobility. And that is exactly what DELOITTE Belgium can offer through this innovative workplace.
Thanks to the immediate vicinity of the train station, Gateway offers direct access to public transport, thereby raising the quality and the efficiency of the work environment. Moreover, its close proximity to the airport and the international Thalys station allows DELOITTE to position its offices as the “Gateway to Europe”.”
Pdf of the press release