Waregem has a rich industrial history. From the 1930s, the site served as a flax rotery, later as a weaving mill for the textile company Deslee/Vanhoutte. After the bankruptcy of DVW Textiles in 2000, the buildings stood empty for years. In 2017, Leiedal bought the 2.3-hectare site on request from the city of Waregem, with the ambition to give it a new economic destination. In 2022, the demolition began. The most recent building – a 3,900 m² building from 1998 and in good condition – was sold together with an adjacent plot in 2024. Now it's the turn of the remaining business plots between 860 and 4,000 m². The redeveloped business site offers approximately 6,500 m² of net saleable area for two to five businesses, depending on how much space they need. There are two types of plots available: for SMEs (€225/m²) and workshops (€240/m²). The prices are valid until December 31, 2026. Mirakel is, according to Leiedal, more than a classic business zone. The redevelopment focuses strongly on sustainability and livability, with attention to a well-thought-out water management system with a fully new separate sewerage system, permeable parking surfaces and buffering along the Koedrijfbeek. New slow roads must connect the site to the wider environment and valuable trees and robust greenery will be preserved and strengthened. The green surroundings design increases the livability value of future employees and neighborhood residents. Scarcity of space can be largely absorbed by reconversion and by sharing space and facilities. A central courtyard on the site offers here on Mirakel shared space for parking, loading and unloading. In this way, the businesses gain space on their own plot. “The demand for space to operate is also high in our city”, affirms Mayor Kristof Chanterie. “With this zone, we are very happy to be able to provide local entrepreneurs with the necessary space. The square can also serve as a parking lot for the adjacent Mirakelstadion on weekends.” “Mirakel is indeed a nice example of how we as an intercommunal deal with scarce space”, adds project manager Tine Claeys. “Instead of cutting new plots, we consciously choose to redevelop existing business sites. In this way, we create high-quality space for entrepreneurship. A win-win for all parties.”