Biggest Romanian bank consolidates its operations in new office building in Bucharest

Banca Comerciala Romana (BCR), the biggest local bank, will be the biggest tenant of the new office project The Bridge, developed near the biggest student campus in Bucharest. BCR has decided to consolidate its central operations in just two office buildings in Bucharest. The bank will keep its headquarters in the Bucharest Financial Plaza building on Calea Victoriei, and will bring together the remaining employees to The Bridge, the bank announced. BCR currently has 15 locations in Bucharest where various departments operate. The group will likely move from the old headquarters in a historic building in Bucharest’s University Square. “The new spaces and facilities aim to connect the employees and encourage a communication and experience exchange culture. We plan to implement a new work model based on modern office standards,” said Adriana Jankovicova, BCR’s CFO. Real estate consultancy firm Knight Frank, managed by Horiatiu Florescu, advised BCR in finding its new offices. The Bridge office project includes two office buildings with a total surface of 57,000 sqm. The first building, which should be finalized in September 2017, has 36,000 sqm. BCR hasn’t announced how much of the building it leased, but according to local Ziarul Financiar the lease is for almost 20,000 sqm. BCR would thus have enough space to move some 2,000 of its employees there. The office project, which is located next to the Basarab Bridge and Carrefour Orhideea, is developed by Forte Partners, a local firm that has several smaller projects in Bucharest. Austrian developer CA Immo will also develop an office project in the vicinity. Software company leases 8,000 sqm in CA Immo’s new Orhideea Towers editor@romania-insider.com