One sister flat after another in Winschoten is being transformed into an apartment complex. The first job, the sister flat at the former Lucas hospital, is almost completed. The second, the staff flat of the former nursing home Oude Molenhorn, is in the pipeline.
The demand for affordable apartments in Winschoten is high. Wima Vastgoed therefore dares to invest millions of euros in the renovation and renovation of existing residential complexes. The first mega job, the renovation of the former sister flat at the Lucas Hospital is almost completed.
There is so much interest in the open house, which is scheduled for Saturday 29 July, that the management has decided to take extra time for the guided tours. About 250 people have registered. An overwhelming interest. It shows how much demand there is for rental properties. A small number are former employees of the hospital. That group wants to see what it looks like now. But they are often people who want to rent an apartment,” says project manager Jeroen Hemmes.
The complex has 54 apartments, spread over eight floors. Eighteen apartments, all on the ground floor, have now been completed. Hemmes expects the apartments to have a tenant in September. The project, costing millions of euros, was then also completed. More than two years ago, Wima Vastgoed started renovating the iconic building on Hommesplein. Although that was during the corona time, the project has hardly been delayed.
The real estate company is already focusing on a second mega project in Winschoten, the renovation of the former staff flat of the then nursing home Molenhorn on the mayor Engelkeslaan, opposite the Winschoter forest. An ambitious plan. “Because we want to add an extra floor to the existing four floors”, Hemmes outlines the plans. “In addition, we want to build a balcony on all apartments, except on the ground floor, and there will be an elevator on the outside. All seventeen apartments will also have their own shower, toilet and kitchen.” The current residents still share a toilet and bathroom on their floor.
Deliver customization
The complex is expected to be completed in 2025. Twelve of the seventeen rooms, mostly in their old condition, are now rented out. “We respect the current rental agreements, but if people still want to move elsewhere, we will provide tailor-made solutions to find accommodation elsewhere.”
The intention is that a lot of greenery and trees will be placed on the roof of the fifth floor that is yet to be built. “All in all, we invest heavily in residential quality and we think it will also be a better sight for the neighborhood,” says Hemmes. “We are actually anticipating what outgoing minister of housing, Hugo de Jonge, said earlier. One street added, one layer on top. This will solve the housing shortage.”
The staff flat was built in 1964
The Molenhorn was the successor of the ‘ Waarkhoes ‘ or ‘ Evening Light ‘ – until 1964 – on the Gasthuislaan in Winschoten. Subsequently, the Molenhorn -with staff flat- was built and demolished in 1989 and then the Sterrenborg was built. In 1989, the Molenhorn and the Reiderwerf merged into the Old Wolde nursing home. The sculpture of Saint George and the Dragon on the facade of the staff flat seems to have disappeared permanently.