Regulatory Filings • Sep 13, 2016
Regulatory Filings
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PRESS RELEASE Regulated information Brussels, 13 September 2016, 08:30
The insurer is leaving its headquarters on Place de Brouckère for a passive building, next to Brussels-North railway station
Brussels, 13 September 2016. Allianz is planning to move out of its current premises on Place de Brouckère and to centralise all its operational activities in Brussels at new headquarters on Boulevard du Roi Albert II, in the Brussels Northern Quarter. The company has set its sights on one of the two towers of the "Möbius" project, an IMMOBEL development. Allianz has opted for a modern, ecological building, designed to cater for its specific requirements and easily accessible by public transport. The move is scheduled to take place between the end of 2019 and early 2020.
"We deliberately chose Brussels for our new headquarters, explains Robert Franssen, CEO of Allianz Benelux. Most of our staff live here. What's more, the new site is easily accessible by public transport and a mere few steps away from the Brussels-North railway station." The preparations for the move are underway. "Everything is running according to plan and we are doing everything we can to minimise the impact of this relocation on our clients and brokers", adds Robert Franssen.
The construction of this brand-new building should start in the second half of 2017. Allianz's new offices in Belgium will come with a BREEAM "Excellent" rating: a passive, efficient, environmentally friendly building that combines comfort and visibility with high-end technical installations. The tower, with a surface area of about 26,600 m2above ground, will be designed with all the company's requirements in mind. The building and its fully glazed facades will create a unique workplace atmosphere, with exceptional views and daylight in all the workstations.
"The "Möbius" project, which the Allianz Tower forms part of, is a reflection of the IMMOBEL teams' renewed vigour and of our desire to expand our project portfolio with ambitious, energy efficient and sustainable properties", says Marnix Galle, Executive Chairman of IMMOBEL. In this context, the developer called on the services of Assar Architects who came up with an elliptical-shaped architecture to complement the Brussels skyline, favouring fluidity over the volume IMMOBEL originally obtained planning permission for on this site.
"It's a signature project in the Northern Quarter", explains Nicolas Billen, Head of Development at IMMOBEL. "It has everything it takes to create a magnificent building and marks a turning point in the development of this district. The fact that Allianz decided on this location, home to other major players in our economy such as Proximus and Engie, bears testimony to the attractiveness of the area and to its tremendous potential."
The acquisition of the Allianz Tower represents a global investment of more than 85 million euro. The transaction is subject to a number of conditions, one being the timely completion of the new headquarters in 2019-2020.
As soon as the Allianz Tower is completed, after the realisation of the conditions precedent, the site of the current Allianz headquarters on Place de Brouckère will change hands and BPI and IMMOBEL will embark on its redevelopment. The project is due to get underway in 2020. Allianz was granted planning permission to redevelop some 55,000 m² at the Brouckère site. However, the programme will be reviewed to cater for a greater urban mix. The project will largely consist of housing (traditional, high-end or student accommodation), offices and a hotel. The ground floor will be allocated to commercial premises which will contribute to the dynamic redevelopment of the Brussels inner city and enhance the pedestrian experience.
"The future redevelopment of the historic Allianz headquarters ties in with our strategy to develop large-scale mixed-use urban projects" concludes Jacques Lefèvre, Chief Executive Officer of BPI. "Because of their synergies and through knowledge-sharing, BPI and IMMOBEL have proven that they are more than capable of bringing flagship projects of this size to a successful conclusion. What's more, the redevelopment of this block, with a significant housing component, will inject fresh dynamism into this neighbourhood, located in the heart of Brussels."
From Allianz Paul Moller, Head of communication Benelux - Allianz +31 (0)88 577 11 06 [email protected]
From Immobel Sandrine Jacobs*, Head of Marketing & Communication - IMMOBEL +32 (0)2 422 53 11 [email protected] *permanent representative of the company Happybizz sprl
From BPI Jacques Lefèvre*, CEO BPI +32 (0)2 663 60 10 [email protected] * SA AVl
The new IMMOBEL group stems from June 2016 merger between IMMOBEL and ALLFIN. IMMOBEL represents the largest listed realestate development group in Belgium and is mostly active in Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and is also active in Poland. IMMOBEL is mainly present on the residential market and, due to its expertise, also active on the office and landbanking markets. The company employs more than 90 persons and has a market capitalization of over 400 MEUR.
For more information, see also: www.immobel.be
For more information, see also: www.allfin.be
Allianz is a global leader in insurance and financial services provision. It is present in over 70 countries, employing more than 142,000 people serving more than 85 million customers. In the Benelux, Allianz offers a broad range of insurance products and services for individuals, the self-employed, SMEs and large companies through its network of insurance brokers. In Belgium, Allianz serves more than 1,000,000 customers, employs close to 1,000 people and collects 2.4 billion euros in gross premiums.
For more information, see also: www.allianz.be
BPI conceives, designs and develops innovative, high-quality projects with a human dimension in Belgium, Poland and Luxembourg in which sustainable real estate development is integrated. BPI is becoming a benchmark for residential development, office real estate and retail real estate development. BPI forms part of the CFE group.
For more information, see also: www.bpisa.be
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