Brussels Finance and Budget Minister Sven Gatz (Open Vld) has raised the possibility of a new tender for the construction of metro line 3 in negotiations with the two companies that submitted bids do not lead to a reduction of the bill of more than 3 billion euros.

The bids are “way too high”, he said on LN24. “We will not accept that,” he warned. And according to Mayor Close, a reconstruction of the South Palace, threatened by the Metro 3 project, is not realistic before 2029.

Threat of new tender

Gatz said the government will negotiate for several months to reduce the bill. “If it does not go down, we are going to reopen the file. We are going to lose time so as not to lose money, and we’re going to call for a new tender,” the Minister added.

The Minister also acknowledged that the Brussels budget is “under severe pressure”, and that drawing up the 2024 budget, an election year, will be “painful” and “really very difficult”.

But he reiterated the need to pay for the construction of Metro 3 at the same time. That will connect the Albert station in Forest to Bordet in Evere and will cost “more than three billion euros”.

He said the construction of the metro line is necessary due to population growth in Brussels, “a city that has 300 000 more people since the metro opened”.

Reconstruction of South Palace in 2029

The construction of the metro line would require demolishing the interior of the South Palace to dig a tunnel for the future metro line. The Brussels government decided to do so last week. Still, both the City of Brussels and the Brussels government are accused of being “non-transparent” in communicating those demolition plans and why this route was finally chosen.

Mayor Philippe Close (PS) now refutes the criticism by saying that “one can continue to carry out studies, but at some point, it is time to decide”. According to Close, there has been transparency in the file, and he reports that an application will be submitted this month for the demolition of the South Palace – the facades will be preserved.

The City of Brussels hopes that the building permit will be delivered in June 2024 and that the demolition works of the South Palace can start in March 2025 so that the metro can be opened in 2030. “Only then can we talk about the reconstruction. It is now up to us to find a solution to this complex issue.”

Gentrification

Once the current relocation of the 34 sports clubs, a school with 1 200 students, and 32 merchants holding a house in the South Palace is settled, Close only wants to discuss future plans for the reconstruction and return of the organizations.

According to him, the earliest this will be possible is from 2029 – 2030. “We must first bring the current move of the Francisco Ferrer school, the merchants, and sports clubs to a successful conclusion.”

It is feared that the construction of the Metro 3 project and the demolition and reconstruction of the South Palace will lead to a gentrification of the neighborhood, making it so unaffordable for some income groups in the long run. Most of the traders at the South Palace are of Maghreb origin.

Meanwhile, there are also several petitions for the application for classification of the building, which was built in 1880 and renovated in 1990.

The MIVB/STIB video below gives a good overview of the complex works currently being carried out around and under the South Palace (Dutch commentary voice and subtitles).