- A permit granted, and a truly significant step
- What’s planned: four covered courts, a tennis court, and a social hub
- Planet Padel selected: an operator already established in Liège province
- The timeline: decisive weeks, a September 2026 goal
- Why indoor changes everything in Belgium
- What players can already expect
- Key takeaway
- Useful links
A permit granted, and a truly significant step
In the world of sports infrastructure, the most important announcement is not always the most spectacular. Here, it’s an administrative validation that moves the project forward: the building permit is granted for the creation of covered padel courts and a cafeteria at the Fun Zone site. Concretely, this means that the project can move from “project” to “construction,” with a frame now set.
For players, it’s often the moment when one starts counting in weeks rather than years. For the municipality, it’s also a way to acknowledge the evolution of sports practices: padel is no longer a passing fad, but a structuring activity that now justifies dedicated facilities.
What’s planned: four covered courts, a tennis court, and a social hub
The project’s content is clear: four covered padel courts, a tennis court and a cafeteria. This combination is quite significant. Four courts, that’s a “club” format that allows absorbing demand and varying uses: free play, lessons, fixed slots, friendly tournaments, corporate events… without blocking all activity at the slightest rush.
The addition of tennis creates a natural bridge: a portion of players will naturally come from racket sports, and the mixed offering also facilitates welcoming families or heterogeneous groups. As for the cafeteria, it plays a key role in the padel model: a center doesn’t just thrive on court bookings, but on the overall experience, the time spent on-site, and the loyalty that is built.
Planet Padel selected: an operator already established in Liège province
The contract was awarded to Planet Padel. The interest, beyond the name, is what it signifies: the operator is already established in the region, with sites in Ans and Saint-Georges-sur-Meuse, and highlights a structured offering (booking, prices, and even an “academy” on its official channels). For Crisnée, this matters: when a project is led by an experienced player, the opening is less often limited to “four courts and that’s it.” We more easily talk about supervision, events, and a gradual promotion in power.
However, note: future operation (schedules, pricing policy, priorities between leisure and competition) will depend on concrete decisions at the time of opening. At this stage, the project is validated and construction is getting underway; the “club model” will then be clarified.
The timeline: decisive weeks, a September 2026 goal
The circulating schedule already sets a tempo: start of works mentioned within a window of a few weeks, and a period of about eight months to complete the project. In this frame, the announced goal is an opening in September 2026.
As always, it should be read as a milestone rather than a carved-in-stone promise. For this type of infrastructure, deadlines can shift for very concrete reasons: coordination of trades, delivery of structures, connections, finishes, inspections. But the order of magnitude is there, and it already allows players to look forward: the 2026 season could mark the arrival of a new indoor spot in the area.
Why indoor changes everything in Belgium
The striking fact in this announcement can be summed up in one word: indoor. In Belgium, it’s often the element that transforms a “place to play” into a “place to play all year round.” We see it in the centers that are very successful: the cover secures bookings, makes the activity more regular, and facilitates the creation of routines (weekly lessons, skill groups, internal leagues).
For neighboring clubs, the effect is twofold: on one hand, more courts in the same area reduces pressure on schedules; on the other, competition can push to improve the offering (quality of welcome, coaching, events, services). And for players, it’s the immediate benefit: more slots, more availability, fewer kilometers to find a covered court in the middle of winter.
What players can already expect
- More availability: four covered courts, that’s a real volume to smooth out demand, especially during winter.
- A structured offering: lessons, introductions, events… are easier to set up with an indoor site and a cafeteria space.
- A new meeting point: padel is very community-driven; a social hub increases the “club” effect.
- Upcoming information: prices, booking system, supervision, and opening schedule will need to be clarified as construction progresses.
Key takeaway
- The permit has been granted for a project at the Fun Zone in Crisnée.
- Planet Padel has been selected to build four covered courts, a tennis court, and a cafeteria.
- Announced goal: opening in September 2026, subject to the smooth progress of construction.
- As often, the topics of “noise / neighborhood / access” will need to be monitored throughout the project.
