For decades, Vilvoorde has been a place where different forms of industry come together. The former Renault plant is one of those rare sites with a rich industrial history, while also serving as a strategic link between Flanders and Brussels.

In early 2025, WDP acquired this iconic site. Since then, we have been working on the transformation of a complex, multi-tenant property that will gradually evolve into a future-ready logistics hub, creating value for our customers, the city and the wider region.

The Renault plant has deep roots. Renault started its first activities here in 1926. During the 1980s and 1990s, around 4,000 people worked on the site, until its closure in 1997.

Since then, the site has been continuously reconverted, attracting new activities and welcoming new businesses. In short, bringing the site back to life. Today, around twenty companies are active here and nearly 800 people work on the site.

With the acquisition in January 2025, WDP secured a strategically located, multimodal site of approximately 20 hectares on the edge of Brussels, with an investment value of EUR 100 million and a net initial yield of around 7%. In 2025, that yield was further strengthened through the lease-up of the final vacant units.

But the real value lies in the opportunity. In a region where space is scarce, sites of this scale and location are exceptional. The Renault site offers a unique opportunity to further realise our ambition of creating warehouses with brains: logistics real estate that is efficient, sustainable and ready for the supply chains of tomorrow.

The site was originally built to support Renault’s operations and expanded over time. New buildings were added, volumes were stacked, and some sections were even partially built into one another. 
That is what makes the site unique, but it also explains why redevelopment is not a quick intervention. This is not a vacant plot of land. It is a place with a history, with existing operations and with a complex spatial structure.

A project of this scale should create value beyond the boundaries of the site itself. That is why we work closely with the City of Vilvoorde, with a focus on efficient land use, strong multimodal accessibility and careful integration into the surrounding area.

The long-term value for the city and the neighbourhood is clear:

• Economic impact: a site that already supports hundreds of jobs today and creates room for new activity
• Smarter land use: making more efficient use of scarce land in a densely built region
• A more sustainable future: supporting lower-impact logistics and decarbonisation ambitions
• Stronger city logistics: providing a reliable link in the supply of goods to Brussels, Vilvoorde and the wider region

Many logistics developments are still designed as single-purpose zones: one type of building, one type of activity, one type of flow. The Renault site is being approached differently, as a multifunctional logistics ecosystem in a highly urbanised and exceptionally well-connected region.

What will set this project apart:

• Logistics combined with complementary urban functions in one masterplan: alongside core logistics, we are creating room for supporting functions that are increasingly difficult to accommodate in the city, but still benefit from proximity and accessibility.
• A deliberate two-scale approach: the site lies between Brussels and Vilvoorde, and the plan reflects that reality. On the Brussels side, the focus is on strong economic activity and core logistics. On the Vilvoorde side, we are exploring smaller-scale functions that fit the urban context.
• A response to land scarcity around Brussels: the question is no longer where another building can be added, but how scarce space can be used more intelligently. By combining functions, we create more value per square metre.

A new model for city logistics: by clustering functions and organising them intelligently, we support more efficient and future-ready goods flows, in line with stricter regulation, sustainability targets and changing expectations.

Watch the client case video.