Around thirty new homes could appear around the striking white church of Nieuw-Dordrecht in the future. The Dordse Church Foundation and the Nieuw-Dordrecht Village Cooperative see the area around the church and the former ice rink as an opportunity to keep the elderly and starters in the village.
The village is now requesting a repurposing study to determine the feasibility of these plans. And that is not the first time, explains chairman Ben Karstenberg of the Dordse Church Foundation. Because in 2021 the church was also scrutinized. “Then we looked into putting apartments in the church. But if you do that, you lose the social function: weddings, funerals, gatherings. That would be a shame,” he says.
The new design focuses on housing around the church, so that the non-monumental building itself, which dates from 1874, is preserved as a place for joy and sorrow.
That mission is now combined with the search for housing construction locations in the village. During a village meeting in May it became clear that there is a particular need for housing for starters and seniors. “Recently, several elderly people have been forced to move to Klazienaveen,” says Karstenberg. “These are the people who do a lot of volunteer work.” If you lose that, you also compromise on quality of life, says Karstenberg.
Young people are also in danger of leaving due to the lack of affordable housing. Village cooperative chairman Ronald Doosje confirms that image: “You want to keep starters here. Otherwise, facilities such as the supermarket will soon disappear.”
The former ice rink, which was previously transferred by the municipality to the village cooperative for a symbolic amount, plays an important role in the plans. But the site is no longer suitable as an ice rink.
“It runs crooked, there are cracks in it. And there is almost never any natural ice anymore,” says Doosje. “It’s actually of little use to you anymore. Then you’d better do something with it for the village.”
That is why there is now an idea to develop the ice rink area together with the church grounds into a residential location. The houses should mainly be intended for residents of the village itself.
In addition to the housing shortage, the survival of the church also plays a role. Maintenance is expensive and income from rental for events has been under pressure for years. “We sometimes hear: ‘Throw the shovel at it.’ But then you lose one of the few iconic buildings we have,” says Karstenberg. “Many residents actually value conservation.”
Selling part of the site can free up money for maintenance and possible sustainability of the church building.
The research also looks at a possible new role for the church. “It could become a common place for the new residents,” Karstenberg explains. “Maybe even combined with care, for example through a housing association and a healthcare institution.”
The municipality of Emmen is involved in the plans, but nothing has been finalized yet. What poses an additional hurdle is that the land is not simply sold one-on-one. Doosje: “The municipality can say: we will take back the land and set conditions. That is one of the things we have to figure out.”
The repurposing study should be completed in the first half of next year.