Developer A Nice Group (Ang) wants to invest 3 million euros in the construction of a tunnel ice rink in Assen. That is a million euros more than in the original plan. This leaves 5.5 million euros for the province of Drenthe and the municipality of Assen to put together in the construction of the Ice Palace.
The municipality of Assen has previously promised 1.5 million euros. It seems that a majority in the city council is willing to increase the amount to 2.5 million euros, according to inquiries from RTV Drenthe. According to party leader Sandra Alberts, the VVD wants to go up to 2.5 million, ChristenUnie-foreman Bouke Weening does not say ‘yes’ but also no ‘no’ and Assen Central also wants to invest more.
But the province ‘may not be in first rank for a dime’, is audible with just about all parties in the council. The province of Drenthe refused in 2024 to invest 5 million euros. Ang first had to see if they can invest more themselves and tighten the business plan of the ice rink.
The calculation is quickly made: if Assen does 1.5 million euros, the entrepreneur 3 million euros, then 4 million euros remains for the province. At 2.5 million from Assen, the province is on the bar for 3 million.
BBB, PvdA, VVD and CDA in the Provincial States find 5 million euros too much. Can 4 or 3 million or? For VVD party chairman Kees Vianen, it is a big step in the right direction of the entrepreneur. BBB Staten member Agnes Jongman shows a different sound. “I think that an entrepreneur should make the main part of the investment. An entrepreneur is there to do?” CDA State member Sonja Hilgenga is also in it like that.
Fred Nederlof (senior) once started the tunnel ice rink in Rotterdam. “No artificial ice rink in this country can be built without financial support from the government. Then you will never get profitable,” he says. BBB, VVD and PvdA do not all want to say what they want to spend. 3 million euros is still too much for CDA party leader Bart van Dekken. There is money at the province, but it is about political will.
In exchange for the Investment in Construction, Ang will set up a free program of school skating for at least ten years for students in primary and secondary education. “We have been doing that in Rotterdam for twelve years and we are not going to stop,” says Nederlof.
But BBB’er Jongman wonder how students from all corners of Drenthe come to the skating rink. “Drenthe is not a Rotterdam in terms of public transport,” she says. Nederlof sees that too and wants to look for sponsors for this. According to Nederlof, there will also be skating and arranging schools themselves from far outside Rotterdam.
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