By purchasing part of the factory site of paper manufacturer Sappi, Maastricht wants to expand the city center.
On Wednesday, the foundation stone was officially laid for the ambitious project.
more livable
It has been a headache file in Maastricht for years. The new cultural city center, which is not in the course of pedestrians. The purchase of part of the Sappi factory site should change that. “We are going to broaden the city center,” says alderman Gert-Jan Krabbendam. “That way we can make this area a lot more liveable. It will be car-free, we will add housing, it is a very important part of urban development.”
12 million
Maastricht will pay 12 million euros for the site. Sappi largely invests that money in the paper factory, to make the complex interesting for new buyers. Since December, the location in Maastricht has been put up for sale by the South African parent company. “Initially we wanted to sell a larger piece to the municipality, but that took too long,” says Ferdinand Koster, supervisor at the Maastricht location.
“With the money from the municipality of Maastricht we can invest in an e-boiler, we will invest six million in it. Instead of natural gas, we will generate part of our steam with green electricity. With that investment we will reduce 13 percent of our CO2 emissions. emissions. That also makes our factory interesting for new prospective buyers.”
Agricultural interest
The deal between the municipality and Sappi also marks a breakthrough in the Agricultural Interest file. Homes can now be built at that location along the Maas, something that was impossible for a long time due to contractual agreements with Sappi. The municipality of Maastricht has bought off that moratorium on housing next to the paper factory in this deal. “As a result, the function of living is now possible in that location,” explains alderman Krabbendam. “We don’t want it to become just a place to live, we want more functions there. It is one of the last urban developments with a beautiful view. We want the best plan for that.”
Cultural sanctuary
The plans for the Agricultural Interest mainly met with resistance from the artists, which are currently located in the former grain warehouse. Since 2002, the municipality of Maastricht has tolerated the squatting of the building. In October 2021, the municipality issued a tender for parties interested in developing the area. The addition of a residential function makes this development considerably more financially interesting for project developers.