Antwerp (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Work begins on Antwerp’s Droogdokken redevelopment, led by Aldermen Patrick Janssens, Lien Van de Kelder, and Karim Bachar. The site will open partially in 2026, with full completion by 2028–2029.
As VRT News reported, work officially begins this Friday, Oct 24, 2025, on the redevelopment of Antwerp’s Droogdokken site, the northernmost point of the Scheldt quays. The project will fully renovate the buildings and the dry docks.
“Both the buildings and the dry docks themselves are authentic heritage elements,”
said Alderman for Urban Development Patrick Janssens (Vooruit).
What’s next for Antwerp’s Droogdokken redevelopment led by Janssens and Bachar?
According to officials, restoration will include warehouses, cranes, and dock walls. Public spaces around the docks will also be improved to make the site accessible to everyone. The plan is to create a space for culture, education, and leisure along the waterfront.
“This should be a place where all youth work partners can come to Ships.”
Karim Bachar (Vooruit)
“Eventually, this should become a beautiful, green space,
says the alderman.
The dry docks themselves are being restored. In one of those dry docks, we’ll restore maritime vessels with heritage value. Another dock will be converted into an event space. We’ll also retain space here for youth activities and cultural activities.”
The province is investing in a harbor experience centre. A park along the waterfront is also planned, but it cannot be built until the nearby Roverssluis project is finished. The youth organisation Stormkop will continue its activities at the site. Other youth organisations will also have space to operate. In addition to the main event dock, the site will feature new cultural venues for concerts, theatre, and open-air film screenings.
“They allow children to unleash their wild creativity here, and we definitely want to preserve that. We just want it to happen in better-renovated buildings,”
says Alderman for Youth Karim Bachar (Vooruit).
“This should be a place where all youth work partners can come,”
says Bachar.
The redevelopment will open parts of the site to the public in 2026. Construction of the waterfront park is scheduled to begin in 2028, after the Roverssluis work is complete. The city council aims to complete the full Droogdokken project by the end of the current legislative term.
The Droogdokken site is one of the oldest harbor areas in Antwerp. It is at the north end of the Scheldt quays where the dry docks were built in the 19th century. For many decades, ships were repaired and maintained at the dry docks. Gradually, ship repair at the site ceased at the end of the twentieth century. In the 2010’s the youth organisation Stormkop moved to the site.
The site has not been used for ship repairs for many years now. There has been activity in recent years because the youth organisation Stormkop resides on site. In 2024, the city of Antwerp announced plans to fully redevelop the Droogdokken.
