Amsterdam continues Meervaart plan in Sloterplas, location against the bank must silence critics
This is apparent from the draft architectural plan for the renewal of Osdorpplein towns in Nieuw-West, which was made public on Monday. three options have been drawn up for the new construction of theater de Meervaart. The preferred location is on the southwest bank of the lake, on the corner of Lelylaan and Meer en Vaart.
The new Meervaart is to become an iconic theater of thirty meters high with green roofs and roof terraces and a jetty on the water below. In addition, the banks where the building on the border is converted into a pedestrian promenade and the idea is to play a performance on the bank. There is not yet a definitive design, for example an indoor bicycle shed is also being considered.
The construction in the Sloterplas is controversial, among other things because it is still is an oasis of peace, met expansive views. Many banks are part of the main green structure. In addition, the city council does not want large parts of the Sloterplas to be protected, yet to make green in the coming years.
Project with scratches
The new construction around the Meervaart is a project with scratches. Residents and district politicians feel completely taken by surprise in 2020 when it became known without consultation that the city council wanted to place the new construction of the old Meervaart in the Sloterplas.
Previous possessions were presented with two other options: new construction on the current land location or in the corner – on land – at Cornelis Lelylaan. However, these locations were not feasible, according to the municipality.
Alderman Touria Meliani (Arts & Culture) then promised that there would be without support, no Meervaart would enter the Sloterplasbut the participation process that followed increased the polarization between residents and the municipality.
A subsequent implementation study showed that there are similar preliminary and finals in the area for the location in the water. Opponents of building in the Sloterplas denounced the research and concluded, partly on the basis of after a WOB request for released documentsthat the municipality has steered towards a pre-prepared outcome during the consultation.
Within this context, last year a narrow majority of the city council voted in favor of the construction in the Sloterplas. Realistic coalition parties were not, residents had no clear ideas and entrepreneurs are enthusiastic.
Arrival hotel ‘financially necessary’
With the new preferred location, the municipality now hopes to remove a lot of criticism. By placing the Meervaart in the corner against the bank – instead of on a separate area – the municipality intends to minimize the view over the Slotplas and protect no protected greenery.
the council is going against the city council by pushing through with the arrival of a hotel in the old building of the Meervaart. previously became adopted a move to scrap the hotel in that spot.
According to alderman Reinier van Dantzig (Spatial Planning), the arrival of the hotel is financially necessary to enable other social investments in the area. The plans for six high residential towers in the corners of the area also remain intact.
The plans for the Meervaart are part of the next phase of the larger area development around Osdorpplein. The area is to become a city center for Nieuw-West, which will grow by about 40,000 residents every four years. Over the next ten years, the aim is to build about a thousand extra homes, of which 40 percent is social housing
Cost unknown
The entire area development around Osdorpplein has a shortfall of 20 million euros in the ten years, and again in the years after. The agreements for the new construction of the Meervaart and costs will follow later. The total cost of a Meervaart in the Sloterplas was previously discussed about 100 million euros.
The new construction of the meervaart is therefore part of the discussions about the Spring Memorandum, in which all planned investments – due to impending financial shortages – again against the planned investments.
If everything goes according to plan, the new Meervaart will be completed at the end of 2029. Plans for the entire area have now been open for public consultation for six weeks and information markets will be set up. Later it will be up to the city council to decide.