When there is a performance in Schouwburg Ogterop in Meppel, almost all parking spaces in surrounding streets are full. The theater does not have its own parking space where visitors can park. That will probably change within a few years.
The parking pressure in the streets at performances leads to irritations among residents in the neighborhood. There is a (free) parking space about a five -minute walk behind the theater, but this is also used by visitors to the city center and by local residents. Without performances in Ogterop, this parking space is already reasonably full.
There is a large lawn between this parking lot and the theater. This used to be the sports field for a high school, but it moved years ago. Now it is nothing more and nothing less than a lawn, with a small sports hall on the edge. The idea is to turn this into a parking lot.
That there will be parking spaces certainly seems. But how much is not certain. The site can completely change in a parking area, but a part can also be chosen. The rest can then be used for a park, sports fields or a few homes.
Bicycle sheds must also be given a place on the site. Currently Ogterop has hardly any. There are now two gates on the side of the building to turn on the bike. That is why it is often full of bicycles on the footpath for the entrance and exit.
There is a possibility that the gym will be demolished on the site. Here, among other things, Gymnastiekvereniging FC Meppel and students from two primary schools train there. Those lessons could be given in another hall. That then becomes a huge puzzle, since the municipality is already struggling with a lack of space in sports halls.
The hall behind Ogterop dates from the eighties and is outdated. The gymnastics association has been arguing for a renovation for years. An option is to expand the hall, or to put a new sports hall there. The city council will probably make a choice about the sports hall this year. Next year will follow a choice about the interpretation of the lawn. The provisional planning is that in 2028 the shovel can be in the ground.
Schouwburg Ogterop hopes to be ready in 2028 with a major renovation. In fact, everything is being renewed, only the large theater hall remains. That costs just over 23 million euros. This season is the last theater season of Ogterop, then the doors close. The work must start next year.