Belgian real estate developer Atenor has secured the permit for the construction of the European Commission conference center in Brussels' European district, which will replace the current Center Borschette.
This new conference centre will be housed in the base of the Realex office tower.
The Realex project has been in the planning stages since 2018 when a planning permit request was submitted to the Brussels planning authorities. The mixed-use development will be located in Rue de la Loi.
With an overall surface area of 26,000 m2, the 8-story conference centre will be able to accommodate up to 3,100 persons simultaneously in 29 adaptable meeting and conference rooms. The Realex project, aiming at obtaining the BREEAM Excellent certification, also consists of a 14-story office building with 19,000 m2 of space, 600 m2 of shops and facilities, and a small green space.
This is the third time Atenor submitted a permit application for the project, and the permit can still be appealed.
The price of the conference centre is estimated at €50-70 mln. The contract between the Commission and Atenor was signed in 2021 and provides for indexation based on changes in construction prices.
The original Realex project was slightly modified to make it more consistent with the development vision for the European Quarter, which is to create a more sustainable and livable district.
