A long-dormant industrial site in Erpeldange is set for redevelopment following a key municipal decision. The “Laduno” project aims to create 205 new homes after a change was approved to the General Development Plan (PAG).
The site was home to the Laduno dairy, which operated from 1957 until its closure 15 years ago. Despite a proposed construction project in 2015, plans were abandoned by 2018, leaving the location unused.
The new momentum comes from a revised Special Development Plan (PAP), which marks a significant shift from the original vision. Initial proposals focused primarily on commercial uses – including offices, retail spaces, and a hotel – with only about 50 residential units. However, dairy company Luxlait, the site owner, found this concept did not align with market interest.
The approved plan now inverts that priority, providing for 205 residential units and significantly reduced commercial space. This shift reduces the project’s total volume from 55,000 to 43,500 square metres.
Erpeldange Mayor Claude Gleis explained that the architectural approach has also been refined. While the buildings, described as “towers of 5 to 11 storeys”, will retain considerable height, their number has increased from eight to ten structures. The redesign makes them narrower and less massive, creating more space between buildings.
“This allows for better air circulation and a more pleasant environment”, Mayor Gleis stated.
To accommodate this new design, an exception related to the Laduno PAP will be formally removed from the corresponding article of the PAG. The revised project received unanimous support from the municipal council.
During the meeting, Councillor Giovanni Ferigo welcomed the development and suggested the municipality advocate for the inclusion of local services, such as a physiotherapist or hairdresser, within the new residential area.
Local residents would like to have these amenities in Erpeldange itself, so they do not always have to travel to Ettelbruck or Diekirch, Ferigo explained. He added that the project could also appeal to those wishing to move away from urban centres.
Fränk Kuffer, a member of the municipal executive board (“Schäfferot”), supported the sentiment but clarified that the municipality ultimately has no direct authority over which commercial tenants occupy the spaces. Councillor Ferigo also enquired if the increased number of residential units would lead to more parking spaces, to which Mayor Gleis responded it would not.
The mayor noted the project still includes two underground parking levels. Notably, the reduction in commercial space led to a decrease in overall parking spaces.
“We still follow the rule of two parking spaces per residential unit”, Gleis stated, adding, “You can calculate the total number of spaces planned in the Laduno PAP based on that.”
While an exact start date for construction remains unclear, significant progress has been made on a previously stalled issue. A longstanding disagreement between the municipality, Luxlait, and the state over financing the access road to the adjacent Nordstadlycée secondary school had partially blocked the project.
Mayor Gleis confirmed to RTL that a solution is now emerging. A convention detailing the cost-sharing arrangement between the three parties is currently being drafted.
“The signatures are still missing, but we are on the right track”, Gleis said.
