United States Government acquires Cours Saint-Michel campus, advised by CBRE

CBRE Belgium's Occupier Services team successfully represented the United States Government in the freehold acquisition of the site known as the Cours Saint-Michel building in Etterbeek. Existing total built surface is subject to re-development.

With this transaction, the U.S. Embassy to the Kingdom of Belgium and the U.S Mission to the European Union, currently located on Boulevard du Régent, intend to relocate to the surroundings of the Parc du Cinquantenaire, where a number of embassies are already located. The size and design of the future embassy is still to be defined but the plan is to design a building that will complement its surroundings.

The Cours Saint-Michel campus, built in the 1960s, covers four hectares and is currently home to ING Belgium, which will be leaving the site in phases. The property has been sold by a JV held by both Immobel and Besix RED who acquired the site in 2017. 

Michael Taelman, Senior Director and Head of Occupier Services at CBRE Belgium, comments: "We are delighted to have been able to successfully contribute to this great transaction. I am quite excited to see what the new U.S. Embassy to Belgium and the U.S. Mission to the European Union will look like given their goal of creating more green space, reaching the highest rating in sustainable certifications, and creating an architectural masterpiece as they have done in other great cities, most notably their recent embassy in London.” 

CBRE Belgium's Occupier Services team employs eight people who assist corporate tenants in their real estate strategy. In addition to "stay vs move" advice, they also manage the real estate portfolios of large companies.