Semi-state agency Enterprise Ireland has chosen Alstead Securities’ 101K SF office development 160 Townsend, Dublin as its preferred new headquarters, according to the Sunday Independent.

The move follows what the publication described as an exhaustive search led by commercial property agent CBRE for new offices across the Irish capital, which included looking at options at Coopers Cross in Dublin’s North Docklands and the Tropical Fruit Warehouse at Dublin Quays.

It has been weighing up a move from its current headquarters at EastPoint Business Park, The Plaza in Dublin 3. Property agent JLL’s website lists the rent at 160 Townsend as up to €65 per SF per annum.

Sources told the Sunday Independent that Enterprise Ireland is seeking to lease the entire office building, indicating a potential rent of over €6.5M per year for the agency, although the amount paid is likely to be lower for a long-term lease that sees Enterprise Ireland rent the entire property.

It said the proposed deal is close to being fully signed off, with some legal negotiations continuing.

The building was designed by MCA Architects and will carry a building energy rating of A3, is designed to achieve LEED Gold v4 certification, and will comply with nearly zero-energy building requirements. Features of the building include top-floor terraces, basement parking and end-of-trip facilities, plus 122 bike spaces.

Preliminary research from JLL Ireland showed take-up of 396K SF of office space across 45 transactions in Q1 2026, running 40% ahead of the five-year, first-quarter average and 33% above the average deal count over the same period.

Relocations led activity, accounting for 60% of take-up across 27 deals, with new market entrants representing over a fifth of take-up across 10 deals. In addition, 820K SF is currently under offer or reserved.

Prime headline rents stand in the range of €62.50 to €65 per SF, with Grade A+ rents forecast to move into the mid-€70s per SF as the year progresses, JLL said.

Any move for Enterprise Ireland into the new headquarters is unlikely until the back end of next year, but the potential move to 160 Townsend would locate Enterprise Ireland closer to stakeholder bodies and agencies, including the government, the IDA and business clients.

Enterprise Ireland invests in and supports the development of Irish-owned companies and provides a platform for economic growth, with a network of 40 international offices.

Enterprise Ireland declined to comment on any potential move.