Brussels, (Brussels Morning)- The proposal of the first Brussels alderman Benoit Hellings (Ecolo) to build a swimming pool in the canal is well received by Port Minister Alain Maron (Ecolo) and port manager Gert Van der Eeken. According to BRUZZ, “This is a very realistic project and could become a business card for Brussels.”
First ships Benoit Hellings, competent for Sport, proposes to build a large swimming pool of no less than 355 metres in the canal near Sainctelette. A preliminary study by KIS studio and engineering firm SWECO already shows that this is a feasible project that creates a large swimming area and at the same time can purify the canal water. The same study also shows that more than 11 million euros is needed for construction and a maximum of 460,000 annually for operation. You can read more about it here .
The Brussels ships may be for the project, the canal is operated by the Port of Brussels. So we had to look forward to the attitude of the Haven itself and the competent minister and fellow party member of Hellings Alain Maron.
Both appear to be enthusiastic about a plan about which they have already been consulted in recent months. “It’s a very nice project,” says Maron. “Large-scale cooling and relaxation areas in the heart of the city are desperately needed. The effects of climate change are real and the heat days are a reminder.”
Maron will now raise the project with the Brussels government and with the Port of Brussels, for which he is responsible. “We also find financial solutions for a good project that matches our priorities. I will certainly contribute to that.”
The boss of the Haven no longer has to convince Hellings and Maron. Director-General Gert Van der Eeken, who has already looked into the study, calls it ‘a very realistic project’.
Business card for Brussels
“Of course we have to ensure that the canal remains an important economic artery, where various functions remain possible,” says Van der Eeken. “But it seems that the canal pool is no obstacle to that. This can become a real added value for the inhabitants of the city and a calling card for Brussels.”
The director general also likes the dual function of the Kanalbad, as the plan is provisionally baptised. “This will be a swimming zone and a purification station for the canal, which is also important.”
Van der Eeken is somewhat reserved on one point. “I saw that the architect suggested a jump option from the Suzan Daniel Bridge. I’m not that excited about that.”
