The vacant schools De Planet and De Viersprong in Klazienaveen will soon be demolished. According to alderman René van der Weide, the demolition of both buildings will start in mid-May, a job that will last until the end of July. For the vacant locations, housing and accommodation for two other schools are envisaged.
In Klazienaveen, work is being done on the replacement of outdated school buildings for fresh new construction. Since August last year, the school buildings of public primary schools De Spil, De Viersprong and De Planet have been empty. The three have merged into one primary school and were given new accommodation in an extension to Esdal College in Klazienaveen, which was completed last year.
The demolition hammer is now being used for the last two schools, says Van der Weide. “For the location of De Viersprong, we are thinking of housing.”
The number of plots is still unknown, according to the alderman, an investigation is still ongoing. Wishes and needs from the village are taken into account.
The future is much more concrete for the location of De Planet. Christian primary schools De Kap and Pastoor Middelkoopschool want to jointly realize a new building here. The schools have no merger plans and will both continue as independent schools. The only difference is that they will soon share the same roof.
De Spil is still safe from demolition for the time being. A child care center currently rents the building. In the future, the building may make way for the new construction of the Catholic Saint Henricus School.
A final decision has not yet been made about this, because an investigation is also underway here. “The new building may also be located on the site of the current location of the Sint Henricus School,” says Van der Weide.
In total, Emmen will invest more than 30 million euros in the construction of new schools in the coming years. The Emmer district of Defltlanden and the villages of Nieuw-Schoonebeek and Weiteveen will also be next in line in the coming years. In the Bargeres district, De Barg will be replaced by joint housing by the same school, De Brink and the Tine Marcus School.
A lot is on the plate of the municipality at once, but that is not surprising, according to the alderman. “A large part of these buildings were built forty to fifty years ago. A period in which Emmen experienced enormous growth.”
The municipality is therefore now faced with a major replacement task. Many buildings struggle with sustainability and climate issues, says Van der Weide.