Boulevard Jamar and its surroundings near Brussels-Midi station will be completely redesigned and transformed into an area full of trees, a canopy and less asphalt, outgoing Brussels Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) announced.
Boulevard Jamar is a short but key connection between Place Bara and the bus station with Boulevard du Midi (part of the Small Ring Road), near Brussels-Midi Station on the border between Anderlecht and Saint-Gilles.
"[This is a] new phase for the long-awaited redevelopment of Boulevard Jamar and Boulevard du Midi. Local residents around Midi station deserve a liveable and more beautiful neighbourhood, with more greenery, wider pavements and meeting places," said Van den Brandt.
After an architectural competition for the redevelopment, the design by Brussels firms Studio Paola Viganò and Arcadis emerged as the winner. Brussels Mobility will now prepare its application for a permit based on this winning design.
A meeting place and garden
The entire area between Midi station and the city centre is going through a profound transformation, with the metro plans, redevelopment of Avenue Stalingrad and the feasibility study for the large empty spaces underneath the station.
The project on Boulevard Jamar will link the Small Ring Road between Place Bara on one side to Lemonnier and Stalingrad on the other.
The area is currently a major construction site for the new Toots Thielemans metro station, which is part of the Metro 3 project. Before this, it was an important traffic axis with four lanes for road traffic. While the redevelopment is separate from the Metro 3 project, qualitative space is needed above ground too, Van den Brandt's office told The Brussels Times.
Plans for the Boulevard Jamar. Credit: Brussels BMA
Boulevard Jamar will become an esplanade of trees, cafés and seating areas. The avenue will have one lane in each direction in the new plans, instead of two. Part of the road will also be reserved for a 'Jamar garden'.
Additionally, there will be more greenery and a playground, as well as a canopy next to the Esplanade de l'Europe. Inspired by the River Senne (which used to flow at the site), the architects envisage a lowered section where the edges can be used as benches.
The new configuration should provide a "meeting place" for local residents to enjoy more cafés and terraces, or play a game of pétanque. The reconstruction will impact stalls at the weekly Midi market and the Foire du Midi, but this is already the case due to the metro construction site.
The start date for the works is not yet known.
