Halle (Brussels Morning) -The city of Halle regained full control of the OWL-Arena stadium after financial and operational issues led to its underuse. The city plans to maintain the stadium for local recreational use while considering its long-term future.
In 2009 the city of Halle bought the land from its previous owner Koninklike Sportclub Halle for 262,000 euros. Before that Koninklike Sportclub Halle had the stadium on lease for 50 years. They then rented it to SK Halle and later to the combined club Pepingen-Halle. In late 2019 Pepingen-Halle had to move because the stadium’s rent went up a lot. After that no football games happened there so the stadium has been empty. This situation shows how the clubs had money and operational problems which affected how the stadium was used.
What is the situation with the lease and management of the sports stadium in Halle, and what are the city’s plans for its future?
More people not originally from Royal Sports Club Halle joined the company leasing the stadium. In 2022 there was a suggestion for RWDM football club to train there but the city didn’t like the idea because it would limit space for Halle’s youth activities. Even though RWDM didn’t use the stadium the company still had the lease and the stadium started getting worse. Now the lease is finishing. Councilor Pieter Busselot from CD&V says the city will pay 65,000 euros to get full control of the stadium back. Even though the city still owned the stadium the company had control over how it was run. That’s why they decided to pay to get back full control of the stadium’s management and decide how it will be used in the future.
Alderman Pieter Busselot from CD&V mentioned that the end of a legislature is not the ideal time to make decisions about what to do with the stadium. This implies that it may be better to address the future plans for the stadium at a more suitable time possibly when there is more stability and continuity in governance to ensure a well-considered and sustainable course of action.
what are the city’s plans for its future?
The city is unsure about what to do with the stadium’s future. Busselot says it’s not the right time to decide at the end of the legislative term. They will do small things like cutting the grass to keep the stadium usable for recreational activities. Busselot wants the city to take back control of the recreational land. They don’t want a club from Brussels to use the stadium since the local community in Hall doesn’t need it right now. By keeping control they aim to keep the stadium open for local recreational use and make decisions that will help the people of Hall.
