The old casino Mol Gompel.
The old casino Mol Gompel (standing Mol Gompel) was built in the Biedermeier style. The German / Austrian (art) history is roughly the Biedermeier period from 1815 to 1848. This historic building, however, has been victim of white collar crime and as a result, empty for years. It is also the victim of vandals. In 1920, Casino Mol Gompel was built in the Biedermeier style. The neighbourhood is also in a Biedermeier style. The casino originally belonged to the Glaverbel plant. Later it became a hotel and casino and was owned by a family, but went bankrupt in 1999. Since then, the casino was empty and heavy decay. The building was even threatened with demolition because the current owner sold the building to a demolition company from Retie. They wanted to rehabilitate the land to make a concrete plant. The council received during the application process more than 500 objections from local residents who wanted to preserve the building. In December 2010, the Flemish Minister of Heritage decided to make the 'Casino Gompel "permanently protected. This means that a breakdown is no more. The Casino is protected for its historical, socio-cultural, architectural and industrial value. The current owner is to refurbish the property and to present a plan for a destination for this old building. Its a shame that it is the victim of vandals.
