Three years ago, the sports field at the Anderlechtsepoort had to make way for the Zuidfoor, but the reconstruction of the square has started again this week. The intention is that dribbling and scoring will be possible again from mid-November.
The demolition of the sports field at the Anderlechtsepoort caused a lot of dissatisfaction among local residents at the time. After complaints about noise pollution and the brakes on the greening of the neighborhood, the demolition of the small sports complex also ended up on the list of disappointments. Since its demolition, the sports field has served as a parking lot, but that is now changing again. “A so-called agora space, or a football and basketball field, will soon appear at the Anderlechtsepoort,” says François Descamps, spokesperson for Brussels Alderman for Sport Benoit Hellings (Green/Ecolo). The intention is for the square to be ready for the public by mid-November.
Destroy, build up
Until 2020, the sports field at the Anderlechtsepoort was always demolished for the Zuidfoor and then rebuilt again. The intention is that this tactic will also be applied in the future. “One month a year, during the Zuidfoor, the square will be dismantled. This was taken into account in the plans,” says Descamps. “The demolition will always take place in July, and the square must be ready for use again by mid-August.”
Local residents breathe a sigh of relief. They are happy that there will be some space in their neighborhood again. “The square was used a lot in the past, and I am convinced that this will be the case again,” says local resident Miguel Lyssens-Danneboom of the Anderlechtsepoort neighborhood committee. “It is especially important for the young people that they have a meeting place, because there are none in this area.”
According to local residents, the sports field is also a step in the right direction in terms of safety. “By creating more space, you also get more overview and social control. When you see what is happening in the car parks here, you understand that visibility is extremely important.”
Sports in the city
The reconstruction of the site is part of a broader vision. According to Hellings, there is a great need for sports in the city, and investments are necessary because the infrastructure is outdated in many places. “That is why we started looking for new projects such as the Cynthia Bolingo hall, new infrastructure for our sports clubs, but also sports infrastructure in the city. It is located close to people’s homes, making it easy for everyone to exercise.”
In addition to the resurrected sports field at the Anderlechtsepoort, a new street workout was recently installed on the Jacques Brelsquare, near Barbeton. A large, public sports zone with two multi-sports fields has recently been opened in Verdunstraat in Haren. And nowadays you can also go to the Brigitinnenpark to stretch on one of the public sports equipment.
This article is originally published on bruzz.be
