2023-06-05 04:00:00
Owning a property is the dream of many. Xavier (assumed name) sees his slowly turning into a nightmare. The reason ? A promise of a lively neighborhood and nearby shops that is struggling to materialize. The icing on the cake: the neighborhood does not seem to be maintained. Faced with the inertia of his commune, Xavier contacted us via the orange Alert us button.
In the early 2010s, BPI Real Estate, a real estate developer and promoter, embarked on a major project: to set up an ecological city in Anderlecht in the space of just a few years.
Everything happened very quickly: the subdivision permit (dividing the land in order to put lots on it to build, editor’s note) was issued in 2014. Construction began in 2016 and the first building was finalized in 2018. A few years and buildings later, the project is now experiencing a slight halt.
“Social diversity will be an integral part of the project with student residences, shops, two playgrounds, a rest home, offices, a public park and a collective vegetable garden. The fresco entitled ‘On the delicate path of the roots’, produced by the Brussels graffiti artist Deeko (SNCB Mérode station, Boitsfort station), will bring a creative touch to the district” can we still read on the site of the Housing Fund, which oversees part of the project.
It is partly thanks to this beautiful promise that Xavier (assumed name) and his mother decided to buy one of the apartments on site. “We were in the very first building [à être construit]. Initially, we bought it for my mum, but in the end, we decided not to come back to Brussels, so we rented it out..”
There’s a little letting go
Problem: the commitment is far from being kept. “We rent in this area thinking ‘oh, everything is going to be nearby, there will be a restaurant, shops, you just have to go out…’ It was for reasons of convenience but 4 years later, there is no there is still nothing“, laments Xavier.
“There is a bit of letting go. There are elderly people who live there and there is a lack of activities… Shops are important for people who want to go shopping and get home easily, or have a drink. I was there and it’s dead, there’s not a cat in the streets…”. Xavier wants this neighborhood to be “reactivated“.
One of the main selling points was a small body of water located on the promenade in front of the buildings. “My mum’s apartment is on the first floor and is directly opposite [de ce qui devrait être] a fountain. We meet once more 3-4 years later and there is still nothing that is done“, he continues. According to him, “we were sold paradise and we are far from it“.
“The fountain has always been as you see it: with a small bottom of water, very muddy.(see pictures below)
Almost abandoned
We went there to verify Xavier’s statements. Indeed, the ground floors under the buildings, intended to accommodate stores, are empty.
The fountain, meanwhile, does not work. There is no water jet, yet on the images that were used to promote these properties, it appeared functional. The reality is quite different: only waste animates the water.
That’s not all, nature freely takes back its rights in several places, something to ask regarding the care taken in gardening.
In order to see more clearly as to the responsibility for the maintenance of the site and its cleanliness, we came into contact with Victor H, the union in charge of certain buildings of the Erasmus Gardens project, including that of our witness Xavier.
Communal inactivity
“Everything has been validated and received by the municipality, but it does not follow up on the maintenance of these public spaces.“, says Tanguy Pierre, union manager. He explains to us that he takes responsibility for the buildings where his union operates, but not for the promenade in front, nor for the fountain. “There is indeed a part that must be taken care of by the condominiums, and a part that must be taken care of by the municipality. The latter is not pro-active at this level, I have to remind them to come and do the maintenance of their part…”
The authorities’ explanation
Tanguy Pierre may have tried to contact the municipality, he did not get the expected answers. We therefore took care to interview Fabrice Cumps, current mayor of Anderlecht. The politician understands the frustration, but explains that everything is not the responsibility of his municipality: “It is true that we are in an intermediate zone, where part belongs to the public space, including the fountain. But a part is still at the expense of the promoter and the various investors.”
However, the municipality assumes its share of responsibility for the maintenance of the fountain. “It’s something that was developed by the promoter, he’s the one who built everything. Afterwards, the municipality must resume maintenance and these are fairly technological things. Our services must outsource maintenance, but it is true that there is something wrong at the municipal level, it must be admitted.” Before adding: “We do the steps, but it takes time to have maintenance systems. You have to be able to adapt to manage it.”
The private promoter has the tools in hand
As for the empty spaces that are supposed to accommodate traders, Fabrice Cumps insists: “The developer, who is originally in the neighborhood, did not find the businesses that allowed to use the empty spaces.”
Before getting into the more technical aspects:You can do shops up to 150m². The promoter came back to us to tell us that he might not find traders who wanted to occupy a space of 150m², and therefore he asked us, at the municipal level, to draw up what is called a special development plan for the floor (PPAS). It’s something quite heavy, which takes a lot of time and which allows you to derogate from regional rules to go up to 500m².”
“Therefore, since December 2022, the PPAS has been validated by the regional government. Today, the private promoter has the tools in hand to bring in the type of trader he wants…”
From causes to effects
Wim Ottevaere, project manager at BPI Real Estate, confirms. “Unfortunately, it took 5 years to modify the PPAS. We had requests [de la part de commerçants], but it was for 50m² (for hairdressers and other small shops) or it was quickly 200-250m². The 150m² is not an optimal surface for us.“The property developer then explains that unforeseen events have complicated the situation.”We already had two signed compromises which were canceled because of the Covid-19. We are aware that it is super important, we need these stores to ‘activate’ the site.”
BPI wants “really start with a nearby supermarket, and a bakery.”
“We want to open 4 stores this year, but it’s not sure. We still have to negotiate…“, nous souffle Wim Ottevaere. “It drags, it’s longer than we would like“, he laments. The inhabitants of the Erasmus Gardens district will still have to be patient before seeing the project succeed.
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