The announcement made a big splash this Friday morning: the Merlin Entertainments group changes its strategy and gives up building a Legoland park in Charleroi, information revealed by our colleagues from litter
Information confirmed by Willy Borsus, Walloon Minister for the Economy. “The group made this decision following a comprehensive assessment of its global operations. Its diagnosis leads to a modification of the strategy which consists in favoring a consolidation of the existing infrastructures (and under construction) rather than an expansion of the activities.said the minister in a press release.
Now we have to move forward. NOTWe are mobilizing to identify other possibilities for the conversion of this site.
Thomas Dermine, the Secretary of State for Recovery and Strategic Investments from Charleroi says to himself “stunned”. “Retraining avenues are possible and should be explored“, he said this Friday followingnoon.
The socialist knows the file well, he who had returned to Charleroi to deal with the Catch plan, aimed at accelerating job creation in the region following several industrial restructurings, including that of Caterpillar. “Today, the economic engine north of Charleroi is running at full speed: the two new economic activity parks of Jumet/Gosslies show an occupancy rate of 100% and the Biopark of Gosselies, neighboring the Caterpillar site, is booming with a new campus project and plans for new production facilities. Retraining avenues are therefore possible and should be explored.“, he pointed out in a long message on Twitter. Despite the strategic decision of the Merlin group “and certain criticisms of the project’s lack of industrial character, I remain convinced that my colleagues in the Region have done well to study and support this project. The unbridled desire to find a future for this emblematic site must continue to guide our actions“, continued the Secretary of State. “When you are in politics, you must build a better future for citizens and dare to support ambitious projects to open up future opportunities. Sometimes, projects are crowned with success and we are lucky in Charleroi to experience successes. Sometimes other projects fail, but you must never resign yourself and always continue to act with determination, despite the cynicism of some“, he concluded.
In recent days, some signals have suggested that the realization of the amusement park on the former industrial site of Caterpillar in Gosselies was announced to be more complicated than expected but nothing foreshadowed such a turnaround.
