Opening of Stalingrad Village

STIB has a solid track record in supporting local residents, shopkeepers and travellers during its major construction projects, and the Toots Thielemans Pact is a further step in this process. This unprecedented agreement, signed with the Brussels government, Brussels Mobility, hub.brussels, the City of Brussels and the municipality of Saint-Gilles, aims to limit the impact of the metro line 3 construction site on local residents and shopkeepers as much as possible.

It is in this context that "Stalingrad Village" opened in early September. A first in Brussels for a public worksite. This temporary complex of commercial spaces, made up of coloured containers, is located along the central reservation of Avenue de Stalingrad. For a period of two and a half years, it will house seven businesses from Palais du Midi which are unable to continue their activities there, due to the construction work on Toots Thielemans station. In this way, STIB intends to support the attractiveness and economic dynamism of the district.

Before the work began, the artist Oli B created a temporary work of art, a fresco on the ground. The site was also embellished at the end of the year with a photo exhibition on tarpaulins showing historical images of the district.

Many other measures are included in the Pact, such as the doubling of the regional compensation for shopkeepers, an important communication component (M3 newsletter, worksite information via WhatsApp, M3 information point on Boulevard Lemonnier, regular information sessions, etc.) and the appointment of a mediator and a worksite facilitator.

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