Shopping Centre de Plu - 11 September 2018

The shopping centre was built in 1976 with a large office complex above it. A bank and lunchroom were located in the shopping centre. In 1997 a new shopping centre was built nearby, which was the beginning of the end for ‘de Plu’. Shops started to leave and parts of the shopping centre were empty. The definitive end came in 2016, the office space was already vacant and now the shopping centre finally closed its doors. The entire complex is now being demolished to make room for homes in a green urban environment. (Legal Visit)

City Office - 24 August 2018

Built in 1980 as a city office and abandoned in 2012. The same year put into use by several small companies - mainly focused on music and online media. Again empty in 2017 and demolished in 2018 to make way for a new green urban environment. (Legal Visit)

De Tovertuin - 24 August 2018

An office building built in 1986 to be used by a section of the municipal staff. In 2012, the building was vacated. The board and management of childcare 'De Tovertuin' took over a part of the building in April 2013. This organization went bankrupt in 2014 and since then the building is empty. The building was demolished in 2018 to make room for a new green urban environment. (Legal Visit)

Kent School - 3 March 2018

The site of the Kent School was originally established by monks in the 14th Century. The Order of the Franciscans of the Holy Cross build the St. Josefsheim Waldniel, including the church. The school and two further blocks were finished on the site by 1913. About 600 mentally and physically disabled people were living in the monastery. But after a stop of financial help from the government the order had to leave the buildings. The last of the brothers left the house on 23rd May 1937.

In 1939 a new law stated that every disabled new born should be reported to the government. The disabled, mostly children were taken in institutes. The National Socialists set about their New Order which questioned certain groups of people’s right to life. The race purification program killed more than 200.000 people and also in St. Jozefsheim people were killed. More than 500 “patients” died here. These were the site’s darkest days. In July 1943 the institute left the St Jozefsheim site.

In 1952 the Allies rented the location for use as a military hospital. The two original blocks of 1913 were connected with modern corridors. A modern clinic with two surgical, paediatrician and psychiatric departments were then developed. In 1963 the British Government converted the location into a school  - the Kent School. At the height of its time as a school it had around 6,000 pupils attending. 270 kids stayed there in the boarding school. In 1992 the school closed and the buildings were for sale again. The last few years there been some emergency restorations in the buildings to keep them from falling apart. In 2000 the site was purchased by an investor from Dusseldorf. But there are still no plans for this beautiful site. (Legal Visit)  

Tax Office Neerpelt - 3 February 2018

This abandoned director's residence of Overpelt-Fabriek in the neighboring village of Neerpelt. This house was built in 1913 and was also used as a tax office. The building is old in the beginning of 2019 and the new owner is planning to turn it into a restaurant.