Plans for Schuman Square Canopy in Brussels Scrapped
The planned canopy for Schuman Square in Brussels, situated at the center of the European Quarter, will not be constructed at this time, reports 24brussels. Beliris, the federal body overseeing the redevelopment, has directed contractors to proceed with the square’s redevelopment without the anticipated steel structure following the European Commission’s lack of response to an appeal for funding support.
The Brussels Region aims to transform the busy roundabout into a predominantly pedestrian area. However, costs escalated beyond initial estimates, leaving the canopy project 12 million euros over budget and financially unfeasible. As the regional government remains in caretaker mode, ministers sought assistance from the European Commission but received no reply.
Beliris expressed frustration in a strongly worded letter to the regional road authority, highlighting significant delays in decision-making. The agency noted that deadlines linked to EU recovery funds are crucial and any changes post-September 15 could force sections of the newly renovated square to be dismantled, incurring additional expenses.
Discussions among Brussels ministers and federal officials to identify alternative funding sources have not yielded results. With the European Commission unresponsive and the federal government unwilling to extend further financial support, the canopy project has been effectively shelved.
