Major renovations planned for Brussels' Cinquantenaire park

The Belgian government has big plans for the Parc du Cinquantenaire in Brussels, including the renovation of its buildings and its better integration into the surrounding areas.

Secretary of state for renewal Thomas Dermine told reporters on Wednesday that a complete reform of the park is planned with a budget of €200-250 million assigned for the project.

Of this, €150 million has already been set aside by the property manager of the federal state, which is responsible for the buildings housing federal administrations as well as architectural and historical heritage, and Beliris, the federal department responsible for construction, renovation and restoration projects.

Contributions to the budget will also come from the Brussels region, the defence ministry and the European Union.

The plan includes, among other things, the expansion of the museums in the park and their collections and restaurants. As part of this, a public-private partnership is being considered for the renovation and refurbishment of the Military Museum, the future of which has come under scrutiny recently. Defence mnister Ludivine Dedonder has been forced to deny rumours that the museum will be emptied, and its collections distributed to smaller museums around the country.

Other construction work, some of which is separate from the new plan and are already under way, includes the renovation of the roofs of the Museum of Art and History, Autoworld and the Military Museum as well as the restoration of the terraces of the Cinquantenaire Arch.

A new LED lighting installation, costing €1.3 million, was recently installed to illuminate the arch and museums in the evenings.

The new plan also sees the park becoming more integrated with the public spaces that surround it and with the nearby European Quarter.