Veurne (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Veurne is building a modern, energy-efficient Zonnewende care facility for €13 million. The city pays €6.8M, with support from Flanders. Alderman Michèle Note defends the investment.
The city of Veurne, province of West Flanders, Belgium, is building a new Zonnewende care facility, and it’s going to cost almost 13 million euros. This is the most money the city has ever spent on a project. The city will pay 6.8 million euros, and the rest will come from the Flemish government.
The city council believes that this is a good investment, and it will make the new Zonnewende a better place for residents and staff while also helping the city reach its environmental goals. They mentioned that the new facility will be modern and sustainable, so it will be able to serve people for many years to come.
Alderman Michèle Note says,
“It is about the well-being of vulnerable young people and children. There is also significant employment. Moreover, the Zonnewende offers an internship to many students.”
Why is Veurne investing in a new €13M Zonnewende facility?
Veurne is using a special system called geothermal energy, which uses heat from the ground to keep the building warm. They mentioned that this system costs more money at the start, but it will save money on energy bills in the long run and is good for the environment.
According to Alderman Michèle Note (Verne Plus), the city made this decision because it wants to make sure the new facility is sustainable. She believes that this is a good investment, and it will make the new Zonnewende a better place for residents and staff while also helping the city reach its environmental goals.
The Zonnewende care facility will have 4 new buildings that are designed to be more modern and energy-efficient. Construction will start in the fall and will take 4 years to complete. The city will build the new buildings in phases, so that the care facility can stay open while the work is being done.
According to the officials, the Zonnewende care facility in Veurne needs a big update. It’s been in operation since 1962, and the facilities are old and don’t comply with today’s codes. There has been discussion of constructing a new building for some 10 years.
There have been a lot of delays, including the COVID-19 pandemic. They mentioned that the pandemic made it hard to work on the project, and it also made building materials much more expensive.
The cost of the new facility is now much higher than it was supposed to be. Even though there have been delays and the project is more expensive, the city is still working on making the new Zonnewende happen.
