The Brussels municipality of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean has criticised the approved permit application for the Lake Side real estate project by developer Nextensa at Tour & Taxis in the Brussels Maritime District.
The project "does not meet the needs of the neighbourhood", according to the college with PS-Vooruit, PVDA-PTB and Molenbeek Autrement.
The future urban district is to accommodate a mix of homes, shops and offices, with a striking number of high-rise buildings. The municipality of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean had already issued a negative opinion on the project. The city association BRAL and neighbourhood associations have also expressed strong criticism. On Monday, the consultation committee issued a favourable opinion, subject to conditions, on the permit application.
Acting mayor Amet Gjanaj (PS) said that he "cannot ignore the fears of residents, associations and neighbourhood committees". "Unfortunately, our unfavourable opinion was not followed by the other members of the consultation committee," continued Josiane Dostie (PVDA-PTB), Councillor for Urban Planning.
According to the council, the project will disrupt the social mix in the neighbourhood and municipality. "The project does not meet the neighbourhood's needs in terms of facilities, mobility or social and affordable housing," explains party colleague and alderman for Housing Dirk De Block.
The project would encourage gentrification in surrounding neighbourhoods, where there is already considerable socio-economic uncertainty. According to De Block, most of the planned homes would also be "private, small and expensive."
The lack of guarantees regarding the inclusion of social housing in the project is also a thorn in the side of the council members.
"There is no guarantee that social housing will be built, despite Nextensa's announcement," says De Block. They are also concerned about the percentage of subsidised homes, which are sold below market price. "Nothing prevents Nextensa from selling these first to buyers from its own network, as the developer has done in the past."
The city of Brussels, where the project is being developed, has fewer objections. Anaïs Maes (Vooruit), councillor for Urban Planning, was positive during Tuesday's city council meeting:
"The Lake Side project is the final phase in a 25-year transformation of a closed industrial site into a lively, mixed-use urban neighbourhood with renovated and repurposed historic buildings."
Maes is not blind to the affordability of the homes, "an absolute sticking point for me," but she is more confident than her Molenbeek colleague De Block.
"The City of Brussels is, of course, calling on all authorities that develop social housing to seize the opportunity in the Lake Side project in order to strengthen the social dimension of the project."
