Antwerp, The chance is great that the work on the underground car park at the Muted Zuiderdokken in the spring of 2019 can resume. The city council and the complaining residents of the Verviersstraat are close to an agreement, so we hear from good source. So would there still be a second exit for the car park.
Contractor Van Laere was the construction of the parking Steendok, good for 900 parking spaces, at the end of may cease. A few residents of the Verviersstraat were to the Council for Vergunningsbetwistingen stepped. With success, because the building permit was pending an award on the merits shall be suspended. The residents feared for heavy congestion because only in the Verviersstraat a parkinguitrit was constructed. In August, handed the city the hand to the complainants. Above ground, it came down to a number of traffic restriction measures. However, could that gesture the structures are not re-loosening.
Until now, so it seems. Behind the scenes is working on a compromise. That will be the city on expenses. A second exit – perhaps in the Namenstraat – there will be a large part of the traffic pressure in the Verviersstraat and remove. You may need to the city or a new an environmental licence applications. Another limitation is that the exit of the car park of CMB of the Verviersstraat to the de Gerlachekaai is shifted.
Stijn Verbist, lawyer of the residents in the Verviersstraat, remains cautious. “We are having conversations with the city and proceed in a constructive atmosphere.” That a deal is within reach, he can still not confirm. The key question is whether the city is willing to a settlement. Mayor De Wever (N-VA) had in August underlined that there is in no way a settlement or financial arrangement, such as that at the time, happened with the six complainants against the Sinksenfoor.
Park,
Now it looks like the building may be finished, there is again perspective for the aboveground construction of the eight-acre Zuiderdokken. The city had already a an environmental licence. The central part gets a lot of grass and a water basin, on the southern and northern side, the emphasis is on gardens and playing fields. The former Kooldok on the north side is just like the Steendok a covered parking.
New legal proceedings, are, of course, not exclude. That can be both about the traffic flow around the Muted Zuiderdokken as about the above-ground construction. The new city council will also have a considerable financial commitment to be met. Until now, the total cost of underground and above ground redevelopment is estimated at 25 million euros.