On the Groene Veld, where the group of former residents of the ADM site has been living since 2019, an auxiliary heating plant will be built from October 2024. That means that the group of squatters and artists may have to leave their beloved silt fields. A decision has yet to be made about the exact use of the site (the plant will only occupy part of it). Those who know what they want in any case are the local residents: “We are happy with the ADM people.”
Hay Schoolmeesters, coordinator of the Groene Veld, said a few weeks ago that as ADM’ers they have good cooperation with the surrounding neighbourhoods. Now the interest group of Jeugdland, Elzenhagen and the Noorderkwartier (JEN) confirms this. According to one of the directors, Edith Verhulst, the artists add a lot. “When they came here there was nothing. It was overgrown, like a jungle. We all cut blackberry bushes together.” Heffels points around her. “And look what they have made of it. Workshops and a furniture maker are here, a cafeteria. They have installed electricity, sewerage, people can rent workplaces here. Everything has been given a function.”
Neighborhood vision
Therefore, the local residents, who turned January last year, made overwhelmed by the news that there will be a heat station, a neighborhood vision. According to fellow board member of JEN, Gaston Remmers, the goal is to at least sit down with the municipality. “We don’t want to be confronted with a plan that has been devised by the municipality, without thinking it will bring value to the neighborhood.”
What would provide value according to the vision: a place where you can do business, where children can learn and where there is room for theater and music, and therefore also for ADM’ers. “It has to be managed and we are happy with how the ADM’s do it,” say Remmers and Verhulst.
The municipality will decide in the spring on what exactly will happen with the site. A spokesperson says that they want to free up space for various ‘functions’, such as culture, recreation and therefore also utilities. According to the residents, these functions conflict with each other. Verhulst: “If you have an auxiliary heating plant here, it doesn’t look cozy and nature is sacrificed for it. And if a sports club comes, for example, cars will also come onto the site here and that is not what the neighborhood wants.”
New energy
The ADM’ers provide the necessary commotion, says Edith, because there is nothing to do in the neighborhoods around it. “When everyone has gone to the office, you can shoot a cannon here. There is absolutely nothing and nobody here. On Friday you can drink a beer at the Groene Veld, you can’t do that anywhere else in the area.” Remmers agrees. According to him, the ADM people bring an energy to the district that this part of Noord especially needs. “Most facilities are on the edge of the IJ, so we are very happy to live next door.”
“Neighborhood vision partly corresponds to wishes of other local residents”
The district says in a response that they are talking to the residents’ groups and are happy with JEN’s input. According to the spokesperson, the neighborhood vision partly corresponds to the wishes of other local residents; space for culture, recreation and sport. In addition, the district must also continue to be supplied with energy and space is needed for utilities.