After explosion: renewed Christinastraat inaugurated

More than 20 buildings were also severely damaged in the disaster. But now everything has been renovated. The city wants to turn it into a real pedestrian shopping street.

Festive reopening

Not all wounds in Christinastraat have healed, but the city of Ostend opted for a festive and optimistic reopening.

“On this day with this party, we not only celebrate the new Christinastraat, but also a bit of a new start. Without, of course, forgetting the human suffering of that explosion, because that is something we can never forget,” says alderman of public works Björn Anseeuw.

Real pedestrian shopping street

The street has been renovated for more than 4 million euros and more than ever it must become a real pedestrian shopping street. But of course, the affected shopkeepers in the area cannot forget the gas disaster of October last year.

Jelle Roels, goldsmith and affected entrepreneur: “That is etched in our memory. We will not forget that. We do have to look to the future and we are of course very happy with the new street. The insurances are a bit delayed, the repairs There are also suppliers who can’t keep up, but it’s going smoothly.”

“That’s right. There are still people who suffer from it. Also mentally and there are people who are still very much affected by what happened here. But we have to look ahead and be optimistic,” says mayor Bart Tommelein.

There are now more than 10 retail properties in the street completely empty. Ostend hopes that the beautification will make Christinastraat flourish again soon.