Although the municipality of Midden-Drenthe would opt for the cheapest alternative, the renovation of the town hall in Beilen will cost 14.1 million euros. That is the conclusion of a report in which different scenarios were investigated. In the current plan, the renovation costs 15.1 million euros.
According to the municipality, the current town hall has run out. “It just can’t do it anymore,” said Alderman Rico Schans (Municipal Interests-BBB) in an earlier interview. The municipality points to the dated cabling and a necessary renovation on the facade of the town hall. For example, there were several network disruptions in recent times, which made telephone and wifi connections.
The boilers and lifts also fail regularly. “These are out of operation, no longer comply with current laws and regulations or cannot be repaired because replacement parts are no longer available,” the municipality justifies itself in the report. “The problems have disturbed our work, so we have not always been able to help our residents.”
The municipality sees the main cause of the problem in overdue maintenance. Part of the technical installations is already over the expected lifespan. With the makeover, the municipality of Midden-Drenthe wants to be a more attractive employer.
Yet, according to municipal councilors, it cannot be explained that the municipality has to cut back considerably and raise the taxes, while on the other she announces a plan to allocate 15 million euros for her town hall. In a motion that was held unanimously, it is urged to investigate cheaper options.
The report now shows three options: 15.1 million, 14.8 million and 14.1 million euros. All three amounts are debited over a period of 40 years. According to the municipality, alternatives are there, but these are discouraged and not worked out.
The differences between the scenarios is mainly in the layout of the building. By keeping the layout the same, 3.5 tons can be saved. It also matters for the costs whether the Library, Stichting Welzijnswerk Midden-Drenthe and the CJG get a place in the new town hall or not. The municipality spends the most money on replacing installations (4.7 million) and architectural works, such as glass and frames (1.9 million).
Can’t you build a new town hall as well? “The costs for building a new town hall are considerably higher than the costs in this current plan,” says the report. The costs of new construction are estimated at € 29 to € 30 million. Excluding demolition work, land costs, terrain device and temporary housing. The municipality also does not call new construction a sustainable option.
More municipalities in Drenthe are busy with renovations and discuss the cost. The municipality of Borger-Odoorn also wants to redecorate the town hall in Exloo for 8 million euros, which finds the opposition too expensive. The town hall in Emmen is also currently undergoing a metamorphosis. There the renovation of a wing cost 2.7 million euros.