On Thursday at 11:30AM, the police academy in North Brussels, which is made up of Schaerbeek, Evere and Saint-Josse-ten-Node, announced the construction of a new police station. The new station should be completed by 2017 and will be located in Saint-Josse, at the corner of Brabant, des Plantes and Prairie.
Decided on in 2012, the construction cost of this 3,815 square meter building is estimated at 8.5 million euros. This joint project is a public-private partnership, which includes the redevelopment of the ground floor of the Chao Chow Palace Hotel, the construction of a police station and the construction of seven apartments. The commanding officer of the North Brussels area Michel Schauwers added that "the station is being built to accommodate 100 officers and contribute to neighborhood safety. The station will be open 24/7 and offer all police services." It will be divided into three distinct areas, one accessible to the public and staff, one for personnel only, and one for those in custody.
Clairfayt Bernard, mayor of Schaerbeek and president of the police academy, says that since the establishment of the zone, "the aim is to combine all the functions of the five police stations into one." The current police station located at the former IBM tower, abandoned by the federal police, should ultimately be left empty. Emir Kir, mayor of Saint-Josse-ten-Node, believes that this project is part of the revitalization of this changing neighborhood.
(Source: Belga)
