The bullet is through the church: housing corporation Lefier is going to demolish two of the five Nicolaiflats in the Emmer district of Emmermeer. The high-rise, named after architect Arno Nicolai (1914-2001), will be demolished by the end of 2024 at the earliest. Replacement housing is first sought for the tenants concerned. Lefier expects a job that will take about a year and a half.
In total, this concerns 48 apartments and another eight family homes on Meerstraat, De Nijkampen and Haagjesweg. An assessment of the other three flats will follow next year, the corporation announced earlier this year. “Plans for new construction are being worked on, but they are not yet concrete. They will be further developed in the near future,” spokesman Gijs Bosman said in a response.
Last March, Lefier brought out the news that the more than sixty-year-old buildings are dated and suffer from inadequate insulation. As a precautionary measure, the housing corporation had steel structures placed under the balconies. In communication with residents, Lefier already hinted that further sustainability in this case is an unattractive option, because it is expensive.
Residents were informed about the decision yesterday. Today they receive another letter with information about the demolition. In the coming weeks, all households will be personally visited by a Lefier employee to answer questions.
In the Emmermeer district, the corporation is sweeping through the outdated housing stock. Two weeks ago, Lefier announced that it would demolish 66 homes and replace gas-free, sustainable homes on this land.