Thirty years after the opening of Disneyland Paris – Europe’s number one tourist destination – Val d’Europe has now emerged as one of the strongest and most important business locations in France, as part of a unique partnership with local authorities and French institutions. During European real estate investment event EXPO REAL Munich, Val d’Europe Agglomération and Real Estate Development by Euro Disney shared the region’s unique development strategy with attendees gathered for the occasion and announced a new project led by BDM. Confirming the cross-border scale of Val d’Europe Field of Opportunities, this investment will include a large-scale building complex dedicated to hosting international companies.
An ambitious international project to accelerate Val d’Europe expansion
Today at EXPO REAL, BDM, Val d’Europe Agglomeration and Real Estate Development by Euro Disney announced the launch of a project that will enrich the business offer in Val d’Europe: West Park. A large-scale environmentally certified building complex, West Park will include approximately 17,000 m² of offices, business premises and showrooms, located in the International Business Park. It will stand out from the traditional offerings by providing not only premium services but also locations to enhance the workplace experience: terraces for working outdoors, concierge services, green trails, picnic areas and a vast food court. The idea is to create a lifestyle hub that stands apart from typical professional spaces.
“In a world where the relationship with the workplace has changed significantly, we have designed a project that is in line with the new aspirations of companies operating on an international scale, both in terms of services and commitment to sustainable development. Convinced of this need in the industry, we decided to create an entirely new concept. We are confident that this new investment will attract companies thanks to its premium location, identity and high-quality offer,” said BDM Managing Director Alexandra Desrosiers-François.
The site will be built with exceptional materials and favor the optimization of natural resources. It will be equipped with charging stations for electric vehicles. From an environmental standpoint, it aims to obtain international BREEAM certification.
Aiming to harmoniously combine work and well-being, West Park illustrates the development ambitions of Val d’Europe with a unique vision of territorial planning, an approach which multinational companies are increasingly focused on. BDM West Park is expected in 2025.
“The collaboration between Real Estate Development by Euro Disney, local authorities and French institutions – created as part of the Greater Paris region – has clearly borne fruit. We are proud of what we have achieved and are now embarking on a new stage at an accelerated pace. Our strategy is to increase the visibility of Val d’Europe beyond the French national borders, create a collaborative dynamic, and position the region as a European reference project,’ said Philippe Descrouet, President of Val d’Europe Agglomération.
An approach preferred by international companies
This new development is in line with the growing internationalization of business locations in the region, capitalizing on its leadership as France’s leading TGV hub, 10 minutes from continental Europe’s leading airport, Paris-Charles de Gaulle. Val d’Europe’s proximity to major European cities and business districts is a real asset. Global companies such as Henkel and Sumitomo have already settled in the area, among others.
Another example: Deloitte, the global professional services network, has announced the upcoming opening of its new European campus in Val d’Europe: Deloitte University. Each year, nearly 22,000 employees from the EMEA region will come to be trained in this new environmentally efficient space. Val d’Europe was chosen for its location and infrastructure. From an environmental perspective, a European connection combined with a central location in France means minimal travel regardless of where you arrive in the region and makes Val d’Europe a carbon efficient destination.
“After 35 years of dynamic and harmonious development alongside local authorities and French institutions, Val d’Europe has undeniably become the most important economic center in the eastern Paris region and has all the assets to attract international companies,” said Boris Solbach, Vice President Business Strategy & Finance and CFO of Disneyland Paris.
A sustainable offer in an area with incredible potential
Now halfway through its unused land potential, Val d’Europe offers a modern alternative for multiple projects, with environmental considerations playing a key role. The urban development also has renewable energy production networks, such as biomass, geothermal energy and one of the largest solar power plants in Europe. Currently under construction at the Disneyland Paris visitor parking lot, it will contribute to reducing CO2 emissions by 890 tons per year in the area when it is completed in 2023.
More than 600,000 square meters of space have been developed since 2004 in this region, demonstrating the tremendous dynamic that is now underway and reinventing the business experience. Thanks to its multi-modal services, Val d’Europe already offers a wide range of business locations in the heart of the city or in landscaped office parks. Although telecommuting is now an established part of work life, companies can reinvent the physical organization of their activities around the notion of quality of life at work thanks to an exceptional setting with green spaces.
A look back at a unique territorial development
The development of Val d’Europe is part of the agreement signed between the French government and The Walt Disney Company for the combined, harmonious and sustainable development of Europe’s leading tourist destination – Disneyland Paris – and a real city – Val d’Europe – to rebalance the development of the Île-de-France region. This unique partnership, signed in 1987, covers an area of more than 2,100 hectares. By the mid-point of the agreement, it will have created a prosperous urban area and enhanced the site to make it an accessible, dynamic, pleasant and sustainable place to live, work and play.