AG Vespa has launched a call for a temporary use of the former De Lijn bus depot at Tramplein in the Antwerp district of Zurenborg. The city is looking for an organization or entrepreneur to activate the site and create an accessible meeting place for the neighborhood. Applications can be submitted until January 18, 2027. The concession period is ten years.
The former depot, located between Tramplein, Draakplaats, and the historic railway embankment, is in an area where further investment in public space and urban renewal is planned in the coming years. The construction of the Spoorpark north of the railway embankment has recently started and is expected to open in the course of 2027. The nearby historic tram shed is also being redeveloped. After De Lijn's departure, a substantial site of over 19,000 square meters became available, which will eventually be part of the Ringstad project Nieuw Zurenborg.
Patrick Janssens, alderman for urban development and housing, emphasizes that a new city district will emerge between Zurenborg, the Singel, and the Ring. Pending this development, the site will have a temporary use to discover what the neighborhood and the city need here. A previous temporary use by cultural initiative De Halte, focusing on young artists and local residents, was successful.
AG Vespa seeks an organization that will not only occupy the space but also act as a community manager, connecting local residents, associations, schools, and cultural partners. Project proposals will be screened for professional operation, sustainable management, a financially self-sustaining model, and a safe, neighborhood-friendly approach. There will also be a focus on climate-resilient outdoor space with greening and de-paving, and the site should become an accessible meeting place.
Taking into account the temporary school that will be housed on part of the depot from January 1, 2027, to December 31, 2028 (container classrooms), the layout and programming must accommodate this. From October 1 to the end of December, a temporary 'less-nuisance' parking facility will be opened for residents with parking permits, compensating for the loss of parking spaces in the currently redeveloped Transvaalstraat.
Koen Kennis, alderman for mobility and chairman of AG Vespa, is pleased with the arrival of the less-nuisance parking, which, along with the new neighborhood parking in Pretoriastraat, should significantly improve the livability in the area.
The selected user will receive a ten-year usage agreement, with an optional extension of five years, without any rental fee. The city of Antwerp will provide a one-time investment grant of up to 600,000 euros, specifically to partially finance investments in spatial quality and programming vision.
The deadline for submitting the application dossier is Monday, January 18, 2027, at 10 AM. AG Vespa will organize a site visit on November 20, 2026. Registration for this visit is required via email. More information is available on the AG Vespa website.
