The redevelopment of Schuman Square in Brussels is expected to start before the end of Summer 2023, according to sources close to the project.
In the run-up to the implementation of the project, a new building permit has been requested taking into account previous objections. A public survey is to be launched on 11 May and a consultative committee session will be held on 30 May, involving the departments concerned.
According to Brussels Mobility, the survey is just a formality.
“This is nothing more than a phase in the delivery of building permits. We are launching a new procedure for applying for a building permit, taking into account the imperfections of the previous procedure,” Inge Paemen, spokesperson for Brussels-Mobility, explained.
The regional entity hopes the redevelopment can finally start before the end of the summer.
The redevelopment project had already obtained a permit in 2021, but due to various appeals, including one from Etterbeek Mayor Vincent De Wolf (MR), the project was delayed.
“Because of the appeals, many projects have not materialised,” Inge Paemen explained. “In the Avenue du Port, appeals are constantly being lodged, which explains why nothing has happened there yet.”
The redevelopment should transform the roundabout into a square where pedestrians feel at home. The renovation will take place in Rue de la Loi, from the Cinquantenaire to the Schuman Roundabout, while the pavements of the European institutions will be renovated.
A canopy is expected to be added to the roundabout, which will become a meeting place for pedestrians and passengers.
According to Damiaan De Jonge, spokesman for Pascal Smet, Brussels Secretary of State for Urban Planning, the permit should take the two-way traffic on the Avenue de la Joyeuse Entrée into account.
“This monofunctional office district will evolve in the coming years into a lively neighbourhood with housing and other urban functions in addition to offices,” De Jonge said.
