The municipality of Hoegaarden, together with the church council and the village committee, wants to create a meeting place in Outgaarden, a sub-municipality without a meeting place, café or shop. The Sint-Niklaas church is centrally located and perfect for this purpose.
The project aims to preserve this valuable religious heritage by giving it a new, socially relevant function. This prevents vacancy and decay and gives the building a second life as a village hall: a central meeting place with a strong socio-cultural function. In this way, the church remains a landmark and connecting element within the village community, contributing to lively, inclusive and liveable villages. The project bridges the past and the future and encourages meeting, participation and community building.
