After two years of works on redevelopment, the most famous shopping street in Brussels and Belgium Rue Neuve/Nieuwstraat was officially open on 3 October 2020, in the presence of Philippe Close, Mayor of the City of Brussels, Ans Persoons, Alderman of Town Planning and Public Spaces, Fabian Maingain, Alderman of Economic Affairs, as well as representatives of Beliris and Shopera, the association of downtown merchants. For the occasion, store windows displayed images retracing the rich history of this street.
The work concerned not only the redevelopment of the entire Rue Neuve but also of all the neighboring streets.
The flooring was made with granite pavers in three different colors. The material was chosen to meet the constraints of heavy delivery trucks. In addition, it also offers good comfort for pedestrians and cyclists.
In addition, in rue aux Choux, a new fountain has been installed with new benches. Also, 15 new trees were planted.
The City of Brussels and Beliris together invested more than 5 million euros in the works which lasted about 2 years. The studies were monitored by the BuurLatz and Ara offices, and the work was carried out by the contractor De Dender.
The quality of public space plays a crucial role in the attractiveness of a city. This redevelopment is a real added value for the city centre of Brussels, in particular through the accessibility and comfort it offers to people with reduced mobility and to all customers.
In addition, the redevelopment of the streets adjacent to Rue Neuve will relieve congestion in the main commercial axis and will encourage the development of new commercial and horeca brands. The objective of the City is to create an economic dynamic by connecting all its shopping districts and thus provide a unique and varied shopping experience for shoppers.
Philippe Close, Mayor of Brussels noted the importance of this project for the city:
“Not to move forward is to go back. »And this applies in particular to big cities like Brussels. We must constantly invest and innovate in our city of today to better meet the demands of the citizens of tomorrow. For the center of Brussels, the redevelopment of Rue Neuve is part of this project to beautify the center. I am very happy that the largest shopping street in the country has had a makeover today. The inhabitants of Brussels, but also visitors and tourists can now once again enjoy a pleasant moment of shopping or relaxation. I would also like to thank the traders and visitors for their patience during this period of work.
Ans Persoons, Alderman for town planning and public spaces in the City of Brussels hopes that this will bring visitors back to the city center and to this iconic commercial artery of Brussels.
“Creating a pleasant environment plays an important role here. This is why the redevelopment plan includes not only Rue Neuve but also the surrounding streets. We want to create more links between neighborhoods: shopping in rue Neuve goes hand in hand with exploring the city. With these works, we want to emphasize that in addition to being a historic place, rue Neuve still has a flourishing future. The City of Brussels will continue to focus on activating upper floors which are still often empty. The district will evolve a little more towards a healthy mix between place of relaxation and life”, noted Ans Persoons.
News source and images: Press release.
