The neighbourhood, on Geel's periphery, had gradually lost its shops and local services, leaving residents, particularly older people and those without a car, without a nearby place to buy everyday goods or meet others while doing so. Rather than building new retail premises, the municipality repurposed an existing industrial building, reducing both construction cost and environmental impact while giving the redevelopment a distinct local identity tied to the site's history.

The renovated mill now combines retail space with community facilities in a single location, deliberately designed to give small, local traders viable premises without the rents typical of purpose-built commercial developments. For municipalities with similar underused industrial or agricultural buildings in residential areas losing their retail base, the case offers a low-cost, replicable route to bringing shops back within walking distance, recognised as a good practice under Interreg Europe.

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