Because officials have also worked at home more often since the Coronapandemie, the municipality expects to be able to finish with less space. The space that is there is also used more efficiently. “There are flex spots everywhere,” says Van der Meij.
For Haarlemmermeerders, the town hall becomes more anonymous, which according to the alderman is a good sign. “Everyone is helped in the same place after entering,” she says. This means that outsiders can no longer see whether someone reports to the municipality for a dormer window or debt counseling.
Net congestion
The new town hall is expected to be ready in 2027, and will be put into use a year later. Yet the question is whether the lights and the computers will switch on. “It is not yet clear all devices at the same time,” says Van der Meij. “That was the case in the design phase, and that is still the case.”
She is referring to the uncertainty about solutions on Netcongestie. The electricity network is also used so intensively in Haarlemmermeer that new large consumers cannot always get a connection.
“We have enough electricity for the construction phase,” explains Van der Meijs spokesperson. “But we may not have power for the usage phase.”