No Legoland theme park in Charleroi after all

No Legoland theme park in Charleroi after all
A Lego construction of Brussels at the press conference announcing the Legoland project last August. Credit: Belga/ Hatim Kaghat

Plans for a new Legoland theme park in Charleroi, which was expected to "give way to hope and new employment opportunities in the region" have been scrapped.

Last summer, it was announced that a Legoland park would be constructed on the former Caterpillar site in Gosselies, near Charleroi, which closed in 2016.

British entertainment company Merlin Entertainments (the owner of Legoland parks), the Walloon region and the Federal Government signed a letter of intent to build the park, a €370-400 million investment. Wallonia would have paid €100 million, making it the second-largest investment in Wallonia in the past decade (after Google in Mons).

However, the company has since notified Walloon Economy Minister Willy Borsus, saying that it would be cancelling the project, Belga News Agency reports. The park was expected to open its doors in 2027, and would have created more than 1,000 new jobs in the region from the start of construction.

"The group has taken that decision after a full evaluation of its global activities," he said. "That led to a different strategy, choosing to consolidate the existing infrastructure - and those under construction - rather than go for an expansion of activities."

He said that, while the decision is "obviously a disappointment," it was clearly stated in the letter of intent signed in August last year that this agreement was not binding.

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According to the letter of intent, the park was supposed to open its doors in 2027. It would aim for 1.5 to 2 million visitors a year, good for a turnover of €120 million. More than 1,000 new jobs would also be created, including 800 direct ones.

Amusement parks entirely dedicated to Lego already exist in three European countries: Denmark, Germany and the UK.


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