The cash vault of the municipality of Assen is opened to quickly attract plans for housing and a more attractive center area. By taking the initiative, the Stadskwartier project will become more expensive. The total amount goes to 122 million euros.
Assen takes matters in the hands because the redevelopment project is too difficult. The intention is that for 2040 a total of 1350 homes in the city center, along the Stadsboulevard and in the Havenkwartier will be added. First, Assen would have spent around 84 million euros on this.
But the costs are therefore piling up, now that the municipality sees too little progress. The cause lies, among other things, with the large number of developers involved who are not always eager to participate. “The vacancy rate in the city center is owned by all kinds of parties. They have a hard time because the price for building is incredibly high,” explains Alderman Cor Staal (ChristenUnie) in the Radio Drenthe program Cassata. “As a municipality we have to play a more active role.”
In concrete terms, this means that Assen from now on pulls the wallet to buy buildings. According to Staal Extremely necessity, “because it doesn’t get off the ground at the pace we want.”
The 1350 homes do not come close to each other in the provincial capital, but in different areas. For example, hundreds of homes must be built in the Havenkwartier, just like on the intervening Stadsboulevard towards the center. In the latter area there is also a lot of work ahead.
In addition to buying up buildings, the municipality attracts extra people to shape the building plans. Staal: “Think of appraisers, buyers and lawyers. If you get started more actively, then we have to organize it ourselves.”
There is another reason for Assen to no longer lean back with ‘Stadskwartier’. This has to do with a government subsidy of around 4.5 million euros from the housing impuls (WBI). There is an obligation to this amount: for 2031, 866 homes must have been delivered. A short calculation learns, with the 205 new homes that are so far certain that the municipality has to deposit the money back if there are not decisions not being made quickly.
“That is why we will also accelerate,” says Staal. According to him, his own investment is not only related to the definitive recovery of the subsidy. “Those houses are just very desperately needed. Assen is in demand,” he says. “We have to keep building for those people. We show that it is possible; I am confident that it will be fine.”
The city council still has to agree with the 122 million euros for Stadkwartier. Local politics will meet on 19 June.