Hofstade (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Hofstade sports hall will get a €7.3 million renovation with Sport Vlaanderen (€3.45M) and Zemst (€3.88M). Mayor Bart Coopman highlights upgrades, accessibility, and prevention of closure.
As VRT News reported, the sports hall in Hofstade, in the province of East Flanders, Belgium, on the Sport Vlaanderen site near Zemst, is set for a major renovation. The hall will get a new sports floor. Energy-efficient LED lights will be installed. A retractable grandstand will also be added. The changing rooms and showers will be fully renovated.
What is included in Hofstade Sports Hall’s €7.3M renovation plan?
The renovation will also focus on sustainability and accessibility. The building’s exterior will be refurbished with materials that are energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. Officials mentioned that the design will make it possible for all athletes to move safely and independently throughout the complex.
The plans include extra screening and improved sound insulation to reduce any disturbance to the surrounding neighbourhood. A large glass wall will be installed next to the hall.
The total investment for the project exceeds €7.3 million. Sport Vlaanderen will contribute €3,450,000, and the municipality of Zemst will provide €3,877,000. Mayor Bart Coopman said the renovation is necessary to prevent the sports hall from closing in the future.
According to Mayor Bart Coopman,
“80% of the sports hall’s athletes come from our municipality. They will only benefit from this. If the municipality doesn’t participate, we risk having to endure the closure of an outdated sports hall within a few years.”
The collaboration agreement for the project was approved at the city council meeting on December 18th, 2025. The schedule for the renovation will be developed in the coming months. The planning will be done in consultation with the sports hall’s users.
Hofstade Sport Vlaanderen’s property has been developed into recreational facilities for visitors and athletes, beginning with the area from 1902-1914, when the land was a sand pit for the building of the train track and continued on to when the pits became water-filled swimming areas in the 1920s.
In 1932, the Hofstade Plage opened for public swimming and by 1939, the area was officially developed as a public recreational site with the addition of outdoor sports facilities, including an indoor sports hall and gymnasium. The facilities were under the management of Bloso and later Sport Vlaanderen starting in 1983.
In recent years, the site has continued to develop; the Sportimonium Sports Museum opened in 2004 and closed in 2022; a new state-of-the-art watersports centre will begin construction in 2022, with an anticipated completion date in 2027 and an Olympic-sized swimming pool and a full complement of contemporary amenities for athletes and visitors are planned for this facility.
