Costa or Anders? Discussion with the neighborhood should settle the discussion

Some opposition parties in the city council also do not understand why the name would change from Costa to Andrs. Meyrem Almaci (Green) describes the entire file as a ‘slapstick’.

“Just do what everyone else is doing and keep the Costa name for this place,” says Almaci.

The same can be heard from PVDA and CD&V.

“The Antwerp district council gave a clear signal by unanimously approving a motion asking for the retention of the Costa name,” says CD&V faction leader Pieter De Cock. “The matter should therefore be the end of the matter with the motion of the district council. Unfortunately, it would still be naive to think that a motion of a district council can carry sufficient weight to adjust urban policy.”

The decision to shelve the Andrs name and keep Costa will not be made by the municipal council. According to Alderman Van de Kelder, the new name Andrs was created after a survey among those involved. However, she doesn’t rule anything out.

“What really matters to me here is not the name on the facade, but what this place will mean for Sint-Andries and for our city,” says the alderman. “In the coming period, we will evaluate the participation process that was conducted during the previous legislature and that led to the new name. Many people put their energy into this. We will also talk to the neighborhood to hear what they think about this.”

Almaci argued for suddenly organizing a referendum in the neighborhood on the name of the meeting center. However, there was no response from Alderman Van de Kelder.