Bempt Stadium Project

Bempt

Projection photos of the future stadium along Avenue de la 2ème Armée Britannique.

The club wants to build a new modern and ecological stadium on the Bempt site in Forest, along Avenue de la 2ème Armée Britannique. Since 2019, the club has been consulting with local authorities for the acquisition and development of the wasteland, which has been assigned as a sports and recreational area. To continue to develop as a professional club, the Union needs a new, modern stadium that can accommodate nearly 16,000 people and meet Belgian and European standards. Union Saint-Gilloise is now waiting for further negotiations with the municipality of Forest and the Brussels Region to buy the land and start work.

Why do we have to move?

 

Sinds de terugkeer naar het Marienstadion in 2018 is ook snel duidelijk geworden dat onze thuishaven niet meer voldoet aan de eisen van het huidige profvoetbal. Ontvangst van supporters is er moeilijk, er zijn amper ruimtes in het stadion voor persontvangst, vip-ontvangst en geen verzamelruimtes voor veiligheidspersoneel en medisch personeel op wedstrijddagen. 

Why can't the club adapt the actual stadium?

Since returning to Marien Stadium in 2018, it quickly became clear that our stadium no longer met the standards of modern professional football. Welcoming supporters can be a challeng, there is too little space within the stadium to receive the press, VIP guests and there is no assembly place for security and medical staff on match days.

 

Every two weeks, 7.000 to 9.000 fans descend on an already dense neighborhood. The club is doing everything it can to reduce nuisance, but it is clear that Marien stadium has reached its limits.

Why the Bempt site?

 

The site is already assigned as a sports and recreation area and is currently being used as a warehouse for the municipal services of Forest. We want to give the land its intended destination. The stadium will be more than 350 metres from the nearest house.

 

In Brussels and in Forest, the municipality where the current stadium is also located, this is the only possible site. This was also proven by an independent study by perspective.brussels in 2021, which investigated the different options for a modern stadium for Union Saint Gilloise.

  

For the club, its history and its future, we must stay in Forest. The local roots of Union Saint-Gilloise are vital for the club. The majority of our supporters come from Saint-Gilles, Forest and Brussels. The local aspect and accessibility are therefore huge assets of the Bempt project.

What are the mobility solutions for the Bempt site?

 

By public transport, the Bempt site is 15 minutes from the current Marien stadium. The two sites are 2.8 kilometres away and are located in the same municipality. The Bempt is located along the Ring, opposite the Audi factory.

 

A fan survey conducted in early 2023 showed that more than half of the fans come to the current stadium on foot or by public transport (30.3% by public transport, 22.1% on foot). In the same survey, fans were asked how they would potentially get to the new stadium, and from this, it appears that public transport would gain in popularity (42.8%).

This prompted the club to start discussions with transport companies STIB and De Lijn because we want to use the existing lines and increase their capacity on match days, in collaboration with both transport companies.

 

Public transport

  • STIB and De Lijn lines near the Bempt (max. 10 min walk):

     

    • STIB tram lines: 4, 82 in 97
       
    • STIB bus lines: 50, 54, 74 in 75
       
    • De Lijn bus lines: 153, 154 and 155

      

    Stops: Saint-Denis, Max Waller, Bempt, Neerstalle, Uccle Sports, Merlo, Carrefour Stalle and Forest Sud

      

    SNCB stops available:

      

    • Forest Sud
       
    • Forest Est

Parking


The club does not plan to build large additional car parks, but wants to use the existing private and public car parks in the area, and bring motorists from these car parks to the stadium using shuttles or public transport.

In this sector as well, studies have been carried out to map the existing car parks at various exits of the Ring (exits 16, 17 and 18):

 

    This amounts to an estimated total of 5,500 parking spots for cars. But the club will not need all of them because the majority of the 16,000 potential fans want to come to the stadium by public transport.

      

    Nearly 80% of respondents to our mobility survey say they want to come by public transport to the stadium if line frequency and service are optimal.