Straw cardboard factory De Halm in Hoogkerk is not going down. The municipality of Groningen wants to save the appearance and parts of this historic eye-catcher.
The municipality of Groningen requests the province not to issue a demolition permit. After careful consideration, the building is regarded as too important from a cultural-historical and social point of view to be lost. Packaging group Solidus wants to get rid of De Halm, which is on the company site and has fallen into disrepair. This refers to crumbling and falling building material.
Monumental status
Alderman Rik van Niejenhuis (PvdA, Housing) is aiming to preserve the factory complex. He announced a new investigation into the state of the building on Wednesday. Steps are also being taken to give De Halm the status of a municipal monument. If that assignment is there, it should not be aborted. “We have noticed that residents of Hoogkerk identify with the history of the building. They recognize it as the origin of their place of residence,” says Van Niejenhuis.
Hoendiep big plus
In 1913, 258 members founded the Cooperative Stroocartonfabriek De Halm in Hoogkerk. This happened on a site near waterways and a railway line. Because a large amount of fresh water is needed for the production of cardboard, the proximity of the Hoendiep turned out to be a big plus. One hundred houses were built on the factory grounds for workers who were recruited elsewhere. The entire site covered 26 hectares.
Heritage clubs are stirring
In recent weeks there has been opposition to the granting of a demolition permit. Heritage organizations Bond Heemschut and the Cuypers society called on the city council to put a stop to the demolition. Various parties asked the mayor and aldermen to commit themselves to preserving De Halm. A petition from 2021, when demolition was also discussed, was circulated again in Hoogkerk.
“Historically, it is a beautiful ensemble with a working-class neighborhood. One of the first that was so completely realized and is still there,” says alderman Rik van Niejenhuis (PvdA. Wonen). “The factory is structurally bad. The municipality once said that it could not be preserved. But history must remain visible, even though we know that conservation is complicated.”
Building in very bad condition
The municipality has already looked at whether De Halm can be restored. Research by the Monumentenwacht already showed ten years ago that the building is in very bad structural condition. Making the factory complex wind and watertight would cost 600,000 euros. This amount will be much higher at the moment.
At this time, it is not safe to inspect the inside of the building closely. The building must first be propped up and stamped. Due to the high costs of physical shoring and stamping, the municipality wants to have the research carried out in the building with a drone. The outside can be examined with the help of a mobile scaffold.
Repurposing questionable
Van Niejenhuis does not want to raise high expectations when it comes to a new destination for De Halm. “In the short term, we think it is not promising, although developers have reported. The building is located on the site of the packaging company and close to the Cosun Beet sugar factory. That’s very inconvenient. Permanent residence in this place is also impossible from a safety point of view.
How further?
The facade survey will be completed this summer. The municipality of Groningen is drawing up a number of scenarios for the future of De Halm. These will be presented to the city council at the end of this year. Van Niejenhuis: ,,We are happy to talk to parties who see a future for this characteristic factory complex and who want to make an effort for it.”