Wijnegem (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Wijnegem will redevelop the former youth movement site Chiro into a village park with a passage to Turnhoutsebaan. Alderman Senne van Hoof said the1st designs will be presented on November 8, 2025.
As VRT News reported, the former site of Wijnegem’s youth movement buildings, in the province of Antwerp, Belgium, will be turned into a new village park. A passageway will connect the park to Turnhoutsebaan.
The old buildings have been empty for over a year since the youth centres moved to new locations. The municipality reached a leasehold agreement with Vicariate Kempen. This deal allows the site to be developed into a green space where people can meet and spend time outdoors.
“Project developers already had plans for large residential towers.”
Senne van Hoof (Darel), Alderman for Public Domain
What will replace Wijnegem’s former youth movement site?
According to officials, the outdated buildings will be demolished to make space for the park. Visitors will be able to use the park for leisure, social gatherings, and recreation.
“We’ve managed to prevent any large residential towers; we’d already seen plans from project developers,”
says Alderman for Public Domain Senne van Hoof (Durf!)
The new village park in Wijnegem will have a safe passage leading to Turnhoutsebaan for pedestrians and cyclists. Several slow-moving roads will also be built to make the area safer and more accessible. The exact design of the park has not yet been finalised, but the plans already include planting many new trees.
More details about the project will be shared during “Experience Wijnegem 2031,” the information market for the new multi-year plan 2026–2031. The Regional Landscape De Voorkempen will present the first design ideas for the site on November 8, 2025. Visitors will be able to view the plans, ask questions, and share their opinions about the future park.
The site in Wijnegem was used for many years by local youth movements as a place for meetings and activities. In 2024, new youth centres opened in the town, and the old buildings were left empty. The municipality then began planning how to reuse the site for the community. In mid-2025, a leasehold agreement was signed with Vicariate Kempen to turn the area into a public park.
