There may be new life in a former school on the Zuideinde in Meppel. The building, which is a provincial monument, has been empty for years and is hardly stolen. But a project developer wants to build nine apartments in it.
It is a building that was built in 1894, and where lessons were taught from 1909 to 2014. It was built by the Werklijkenvereniging Werken en Leven, which it immediately expanded two years later. It was used as a association building. In 1904 the association sold the building to an Amsterdammer, who ran a hotel and coffee house there until 1909: the weapon of Meppel. In 1909 it changed to a school, when the National Agriculture Winter School came in. The first lesson started with a group of 26 students. Later it was transferred to the middle agricultural school.
After 84 years, the school left the building in June 1993, and the school continued on the Vledder. There it merged with the high school in Horticulture in Frederiksoord. And continued under the name AOC Terra. In the meantime, this school is no longer located on the Vledder.
After the departure of the agricultural school, the building remained in use as a school. The high school Stad & Esch took it into use as a branch. Further down the street this school had its ‘main building’. Teaching was taught here up to and including 2014. Then Stad & Esch went to new construction. The main building, which is a national monument, was completely converted into apartments a few years ago.
The same fate is now also waiting for this building. It concerns nine apartments spread over three floors. The monumental building will remain standing and little will be changed on the outside, but the emergency rooms that are attached to it will be demolished. Parking spaces and a bicycle shed are laid on the site itself.
The city council still has to agree with the plan, because it is not possible to live on the basis of the current rules.