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The CENESP (São Paulo Business Center) complex consists of seven office towers and a shopping mall. What was considered innovative a few decades ago, has now become a set of buildings situated along the Marginal Pinheiros highway, facing high vacancy rates. This decline in attractiveness reflects the broader trend of major companies seeking more modern, efficient, and well-located spaces.
According to SiiLA, the market rent of the CENESP towers is currently R$ 32.9/m². In contrast, other Class A buildings along the Marginal Pinheiros region have an average market rent of R$ 49.7/m².
Market Rent is a proprietary metric developed by SiiLA to determine the value per square meter of commercial properties. This metric employs a unique methodology that analyzes various factors, including available spaces, asking prices in the area, construction standards, transactions, and demand.
At the height of its decline in 2020, the complex saw a lease agreement for just R$ 14.3/m², signed with Inbrands, a fashion and haute couture company. Since 2020, CENESP has recorded a negative net absorption of 30,000 m². In total, tenants have returned 55,700 m² of space in the complex.
Currently, CENESP is a multi-owner property. Some floors are owned by real estate investment funds, while many of the deeds are spread across various companies.
Two notable sales transactions have caught the attention of SiiLA’s intelligence team, involving Towers A and F.
The first transaction analyzed took place in Tower A, where Diversey acquired 2,800 m² from Jope Gestão de Bens. The sale occurred in 2023 for R$ 2.3 million, but Jope had purchased the space back in 2011 for R$ 4.3 million, resulting in a loss of R$ 1.9 million, excluding inflation adjustments. Since 2023, the seventh floor of Tower A has remained vacant.
Another key transaction involved the first floor of Tower F, previously occupied by Marsh, an insurance brokerage. Marsh had leased the space since the property’s construction, originally under the name Johnson & Higgins, later rebranded as J&H Marsh & McLennan, and eventually Marsh McLennan. In 2020, the company vacated the floor, which remained unoccupied until July 2024, when Marsh sold the space to two companies—Systembau Imóveis and Hipogrifo Investimentos (also known as Grifo Investimentos)—for R$ 1.7 million, or R$ 604 per m².
SiiLA Market Analytics platform subscribers can access complete details of these transactions.
The Marginal Pinheiros area is one of the largest yet most infrastructure-deficient regions in São Paulo. While developments like Pinheiros One and recent projects such as River South are located here, these properties do not directly compete with CENESP.
Nearby, Panamerica Park comprises 11 buildings, ranging from fully vacant to fully occupied. The Axis Building, another direct competitor to CENESP, maintains a relatively low vacancy rate of 11%.
According to SiiLA’s market intelligence team, the CENESP area is poorly serviced by public transportation and is considered “out of the way” for many companies. The only metro station nearby is Giovanni Gronchi on Line 5-Lilás.







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