Since 2000, the municipality of Utrecht has been working with several stakeholders on the development of the Utrecht central station area. The CU2030 vision was formulated in 2008, which reflects the municipality's ambition and vision for the area. CU2030 focuses on future-proofing the new center surrounding Utrecht CS. A multifunctional environment where, among other things, 220,000 sq m of high-quality office space has been added to the stock since 2008. In this upcoming environment, the joint venture between APF International and Angelo Gordon was one of the first market parties to acquire a plot next to the central station, known as Westflank Noord, in 2017. 

Due to the complete repositioning of the station area, more and more headquarteroffices are choosing this location. After corporates such as Rabobank, Aalberts Industries, VodafoneZiggo and Zanders, McDonald’s Netherlands has now decided to settle here. McDonald’s Netherlands will open its office in Central Park in November 2021.

Central Park is being developed by a joint venture between Angelo Gordon and APF International on Westflank Noord. The building was purchased by Bouwinvest Office Fund and is currently under construction. Central Park will comprise approximately 28,000 sq m of office and 500 sq m of restaurant space as well as underground parking. The office building will be a landmark addition to the skyline of the renewed city center of Utrecht. The 11th and 12th floor will feature a park. The building is expected to be delivered in mid-2021 and will be awarded with a BREEAM Excellent certificate. In addition, the building has a WKO installation and solar panels that provide the energy supply.

“For our new office, we were looking for an easily accessible and dynamic location in order to retain and attract talent. We aspired to create an inspiring environment in our target market, in accordance with our sustainability values. Central Park is a perfect match; upon completion, it will receive a BREEAM Excellent certificate and, moreover, a real park is being developed in the heart of the building, where our employees can relax or enjoy a walk”, says Erwin Dito, Managing Director of McDonald’s Netherlands. 

According to the European Commission, Utrecht has been one of the most competitive regions in Europe for several years in a row. Last year, Utrecht and London shared second place in its ranking. Thanks to its central location, with more than 88 million travelers a year, Utrecht is the busiest railway station in the Netherlands and therefore one of the best accessible locations in the country. This is one of the reasons why Utrecht has been the fastest growing city of the G4 (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht) for 10 years in a row, and this is likely to continue  in the coming decade. In view of these developments, many occupiers are expected to follow in McDonald’s footsteps.

Sander van den Engel, Head of Agency Utrecht at Savills in the Netherlands, says: “The demand for office space in easily accessible locations, such as Utrecht CBD, is increasing. Despite the many new build projects, the current pipeline cannot keep up with future demand, resulting in new developments in the CBD being fully let before completion.

This transaction is a good example of this market trend. From our office in Utrecht we have a view over the Central Park development and this office building promises to be a real eye catcher within the Utrecht skyline. We are therefore delighted that we have been able to secure this location for our client McDonald’s."

JLL advised the joint venture AG / APF in collaboration with Cushman & Wakefield and PEAK Development. Savills represented tenant McDonald’s.