Friday august 23rd, Diest's mayor Christophe De Graef officially inaugurated the new district of Ezeldijk. He did so together with more than 300 new residents and the project developers Ciril and Diest Invest. The ambitious project took 15 years to complete and now includes around 250 apartments and lofts, approximately 30 houses, a senior campus with, among other things, 95 nursing home rooms and 47 service flats, and several commercial spaces. With this, it is one of the largest residential projects in Diest in recent decades.
With a glass of bubbles or soda in one hand and an ice cream in the other, hundreds of enthusiastic attendees celebrated the official and festive inauguration of Ezeldijk this afternoon. The new district on the outskirts of the Diest city center is located on the former grounds of Euro Shoe, the old Diest shoe manufacturer. In 2009, it was decided to give the abandoned site a completely new life, evolving it from a bleak industrial area into a green, vibrant neighborhood.
“Ezeldijk has become a beautiful example of a modern and sustainable city-within-a-city. Over the course of 15 years, the old factory has been replaced by an immense amount of housing, combined with various other functions such as elderly care, commercial businesses, social housing, etc. And we have done this with the utmost respect for the environment. In terms of appearance and design, we have taken the neighboring beguinage into account. Just think of the small alleyways that you also find in Ezeldijk. Additionally, we have also contributed to the opening up of the Demer river. All of this, together with the 800 square meter park, ensures that young and old come together here with great pleasure, and the neighborhood truly comes to life.”
Pieter Vanhout, CEO of Ciril
The new site comes not a day too soon, as it turns out. Here and there, the final brush strokes are still being applied, but all housing units have now been sold and are occupied.
“According to the latest forecasts, the population of Diest is expected to grow to more than 27,200 inhabitants over the next 15 years. This significant increase also demands additional high-quality housing, and a project like Ezeldijk fits perfectly into this. Moreover, it is a project that also focuses on sustainability – think, for example, of the many Nearly-Energy-Neutral (BEN) homes – and strong community involvement. Diest is a warm city where we live together respectfully and well. By further developing our city in such a way that there is room for living, working, and experiencing, we are building a livable future for everyone.”
Christophe De Graef, Mayor of Diest
Diest Invest, a partner of Ciril, is led by Jan Vanonckelen and Pascale Vanaudenhove. Notably, the latter is the daughter of Omer Vanaudenhove, co-founder of Euro Shoe/Shoe Post. The shoe factory of his chain – which closed its doors in the late 1990s – was located exactly where Ezeldijk now stands.
“We are proud that together with Ciril and Democo, we can once again offer added value to the people of Diest on this very site. Ezeldijk is an innovative project, social and open to everyone. Completely in the spirit of Omer Vanaudenhove. We are firmly convinced that the 300 families, dozens of seniors, and traders who find a new home here today will live, work, and relax with great enthusiasm. And moreover, they will be able to live together in a close-knit community.”
Jan Vanonckelen & Pascale Vanaudenhove, directors of Diest Invest
