Belgian property developer Heylen Warehouses has reached an agreement to acquire the former Audi Brussels site in Forest, with plans to turn the 55-hectare industrial area into a mixed-use business park.
The former Audi Brussels factory in Forest is set to begin a new economic chapter after Heylen Warehouses reached an agreement with Audi to acquire the site.
The deal was reached in cooperation with the Brussels-Capital Region and the municipality of Forest. The parties are now finalising the legal documents governing the transaction.
The redevelopment project, provisionally named 'Rings Park 21', aims to create at least 3,000 jobs – roughly matching the number of positions lost when the Audi factory closed in February 2025.
The site covers around 55 hectares, making it the largest industrial site in the Brussels-Capital Region. It benefits from a high-voltage electricity connection, a railway link and close proximity to both Brussels and the Ring.
From car factory to urban business park
Heylen Warehouses plans to develop a mixed-use urban business park combining industrial activities with space for SMEs and innovative companies.
"The site is a unique opportunity, but also a responsibility,” said Wim Heylen, chair of Heylen Group. "Our ambition is not to turn the page on Brussels' industrial history, but to write it differently, with more companies, more jobs and a site that is finally open to its municipality and its city."
Part of the existing Audi infrastructure could be reused, while other buildings are expected to be demolished. The plans also envisage opening up the currently enclosed site to the surrounding neighbourhood, including through a public road running across the area.
The Forest-Midi railway station located on the site is also expected to be upgraded as part of the redevelopment.
A major challenge after Audi's closure
The project comes just over 18 months after Audi ended production in Forest. The factory closed on 28 February 2025, bringing an end to more than 75 years of car manufacturing at the site and resulting in around 3,000 direct job losses.
"The redevelopment of the Audi site was a priority of this government," said Brussels Minister-President Boris Dilliès (MR). "The acquisition of the site demonstrates that Brussels is attractive. We are attracting businesses and jobs to our region."
Brussels Economy and Employment Minister Laurent Hublet (Les Engagés) described the project as one of the most significant economic redevelopment operations in the region. "Our shared commitment is to transform the site into an industrial asset that is open to the city, with a diverse ecosystem fully integrated into Brussels and Belgium's economic fabric," he said.
First jobs could arrive in 2027
Although the complete redevelopment is expected to take several years, Heylen says it intends to move quickly.
The company hopes to announce the first jobs on the site as early as 2027, while the full transformation could take between five and ten years. Some parts of the site are already suitable for occupation, while others will require renovation or redevelopment.
For Heylen Warehouses, the objective goes beyond replacing the jobs lost with Audi's closure. "We want to move quickly to address the socio-economic urgency while building a sustainable long-term project," said co-CEO Philippe Deschilder. "The ambition is great; the approach is pragmatic."
The company has not yet announced which businesses will move to the site, but says it is already in discussions with a broad range of potential occupants, from SMEs to international companies.
