Wolvertem (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The old town hall in Wolvertem was sold for €410,000. Mayor Gerda Van den Brande is happy it will be renovated by September 2026 for a catering business. Opposition councillor Roel Anciaux criticized the sale, worried about losing its historical value.
The old town hall in Wolvertem has been sold for €410,000. It has been empty and in bad condition for a long time. This building is important for the local history and culture. The mayor, Gerda Van den Brande, is happy about the sale. She mentioned that it was hard to find a buyer for the building. She wants to make sure it gets fixed up and does not get worse.
The new owner plans to do a complete renovation. They will make the building strong again and restore its appearance. When the work is done, the building will be transformed. This means the main repairs will be finished, but the inside will be ready for the new user to design as they wish.
“We are happy that we have finally found a buyer because the building has been in disrepair for a long time,”
Says Mayor Gerda Van den Brande (N-VA).
What will the new catering business bring to Wolvertem’s old town hall?
The old town hall will become a catering business. The details of the business are not clear yet. People thought it would make Wolvertem busier. The details will be decided later. People mentioned that this project will help save a historic building. It also aims to improve the town centre.
Mayor Gerda Van den Brande (N-VA) said.
“The buyer will renovate the building and deliver it as a shell. What kind of catering business it will be, will only become clear later.”
The sale of the old town hall in Wolvertem has caused some disagreement. Opposition councillor Roel Anciaux from Samen Anders has criticized the decision. He is worried that selling the building means losing its historical and emotional value.
Anciaux believes that the people should have had a say in what happened to the building. He wanted a vote to let locals decide its future. Mayor Gerda Van den Brande from N-VA defended the sale. She said there was enough time to find other solutions. She believes that waiting longer would only make the building worse.
Mayor Van den Brande responded to the criticism about the old town hall. She said the building’s historic look will be kept. The buyer will renovate it but will not change the outside. This means the building will still look the same.
Van den Brande believes.
“By the way, nothing will change about the appearance of the building, the outer shell will remain untouched. And we do not rule out a community function in the future.”
The mayor also said there might be a chance for the building to be used for community events in the future. This means that even though it will become a catering business now, it could still serve the community later.
The old town hall in Wolvertem is set to be renovated by September 2026. According to authorities, this timeline is important because the town received a subsidy for the project. The subsidy requires the renovation to be finished on time. Mayor Gerda Van den Brande said it is very important to meet this deadline to keep the funding.
The renovation will change the historic building into a shell. The outside will stay the same, but the inside will be prepared for a catering business. The mayor is hopeful about the new purpose of the building. She believes it can bring new life to this historic landmark.
We hope that we can reserve a table in the new catering establishment in the new building by the end of 2026,”
Concludes the mayor.
