Inauguration of the Deleers SME park

Today, the CanalCity SME park was officially inaugurated in the presence of the mayor of Anderlecht, Fabrice Cumps. CanalCity is located along the Brussels-Charleroi Canal and has ten production workshops. The park is part of a larger mixed-use urban project on the Deleers site, developed by Kairos in collaboration with Federale Verzekering.

SME park integrated with daycare center and schools

CanalCity is an important part of the broader Deleers Residential project. The SME park is located beneath a nursery, a primary school, and a secondary school. This layered structure is in line with Kairos' ambition to combine functions in a smart way and make maximum use of space in the city.

The SME park was purchased in the spring of 2024 by citydev.brussels, which is responsible for managing and leasing the workshops. During the development phase, Kairos and citydev.brussels worked closely together on the technical and programmatic coordination of the various functions within the building.

CanalCity was built by BAM Interbuild and has a total surface area of 6,000 square meters. It comprises ten production studios ranging from 350 to 800 square meters, 26 parking spaces, and 60 bicycle parking spaces.

Barbara Trachte, State Secretary for Economic Transition: "Supporting SMEs and sustainably integrating production activities into the urban fabric is one of the priority objectives of Brussels' economic transition. Doubling the number of SME parks was our goal at the beginning of the legislative term. Congratulations to citydev.brussels and all those who made this possible."

Kairos project: living, working, and learning on one site

The Kairos project is located on the former Deleers site in Anderlecht, an area designated as a business park in an urban environment. The site is located on the canal near the bridge on Paapsemlaan, between Henri Deleersstraat, Walcourtstraat, and Biestebroekkaai. The location is strategic and easily accessible, three kilometers from Brussels South station and five kilometers from the Grand Place. The Bizet and Veeweide metro stations are in the immediate vicinity, as is the cycle highway along the canal.

Kairos is breathing new life into the former industrial site with an ambitious mixed-use project consisting of four buildings with a total of 147 homes, thirteen units for production activities, three commercial spaces, a nursery, and two schools. A significant portion of the production units were sold to citydev.brussels. The project has had an urban development permit since 2022 and is one of the largest permitted projects in the Brussels Region.

The residential program consists of a fourteen-story tower block with 72 apartments, two seven-story buildings with 26 apartments each, and a fourth building, Walcourt 118, with seven stories and 23 subsidized apartments. The latter were built as part of the urban development obligations and sold by citydev.brussels.

The 23 subsidized apartments include three one-bedroom units, eight two-bedroom units, nine three-bedroom units, and three four-bedroom units.

Construction began in the spring of 2023 and is progressing steadily. The two schools and the nursery opened their doors in September. The building with the subsidized housing units will be completed by spring 2026.

"With CanalCity, we are once again demonstrating that urban renewal in Brussels can be ambitious, inclusive, and forward-looking. Here in Anderlecht, we are bringing together schools, a daycare center, manufacturing activities, and affordable subsidized housing in a single project, right in the middle of a neighborhood undergoing rapid transformation. This type of mixed development reflects our vision of a balanced, sustainable, and inclusive city, where there is room for every Brussels resident to live, learn, and work," says Rudi Vervoort, Minister-President of the Brussels Region.

Mayor of Anderlecht Fabrice Cumps: “CanalCity perfectly illustrates the model we want to apply in the new neighborhoods being developed in the municipality, especially along the canal. This SME park, which we are inaugurating today, is part of a very complex project. In addition to the SME park, there are also affordable homes, a nursery, a primary school, and a secondary school. A mix of functions is at the heart of this urban project."

Benjamin Cadranel, general administrator of citydev.brussels: "With this inauguration, we are continuing to roll out the Canal Plan and moving one step closer to the 15-minute city. CanalCity combines several essential functions on a single site: two schools, a nursery, affordable housing, and production activities. These must also complement each other harmoniously and efficiently."

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