Maarkedal (Brussels morning Newspaper) – Historic Sint-Leonardus nursing home in Louise-Marie (Markedal) will be redeveloped by Zenhomes into 30 apartments, 5 homes, and a 10-room hotel, preserving heritage, with Mayor Nachtergaele and Frederik Van Nieuwenhuze involved.
As VRT News reported, the historic Sint-Leonardus nursing home in Louise-Marie (Maarkedal), in the province of East Flanders, Belgium, will be transformed into a residential project. The municipal government has now granted an environmental permit for the redevelopment. The plan includes 30 apartments in the old buildings. The redevelopment also includes 5 single-family homes and a small hotel.
“The project is fully integrated into the landscape and respects the site’s historical character,”
says Mayor Joris Nachtergaele (N-VA).
“The park behind the site is also included in the plans.”
“This is exactly the kind of development we want for our villages: respectful, well-thought-out and future-oriented,”
says Alderman for Spatial Planning Frederik Van Nieuwenhuze (N-VA).
What will happen to the Former Sint-Leonardus nursing home in Maarkedal?
Developer Zenhomes will carry out the redevelopment of the former Sint-Leonardus nursing home in Louise-Marie (Markedal). The project combines the historic character of the site with modern living.
“We want to make the buildings energy-efficient, while simultaneously preserving the unique character of Sint-Leonardus as much as possible,”
says manager Raven De Nolf.
“This way, we won’t be altering the neo-Gothic facades of the monastery site,”
says De Nolf.
“We’ll be using them as the basis for the residential project. We will modernise the interiors of the buildings, but we’ll try to preserve all the high ceilings, the doors, and the moldings.”
Officials mentioned that future residents will move into buildings that keep their original façades.
“We’re also opting for communal areas,”
explains the manager.
“And residents will have access to the park that belongs to the site.”
The former director’s residence and the stables are taking a different path. They are being restored and converted into a small hotel with 10 rooms. All the residential units will now be sold first.
“That will certainly take a year,”
De Nolf added.
“Only then will the renovations begin. I estimate the first residents will be able to move in in about three to four years.”
The former Instituut Sint‑Leonardus in Louise‑Marie (part of Maarkedal) was built between 1900 and 1902 as a sanatorium for elderly women under the care of the Sisters of Mercy of Ronse.
Over the decades, the complex expanded, including annex buildings such as a director’s house (from 1901), a school (from 1899), and later farm buildings constructed in the 1920s. In recent years, the buildings have been empty, and the municipality has been looking for a new purpose for the site.
