The plans for the construction of a real sailing lake north of Emmen, between Emmerschans, Nieuw-Weerdinge and Emmer-Compascuum. “Really something for you to sink your teeth into,” the friend joked.
That so-called Schansmeer had turned into a real headache for Emmen. The Drenthe town wanted to increase its tourist attractiveness. An agricultural area the size of 700 football fields on the north side of Emmen therefore had to be transformed into a huge recreational area. In addition to the Schansmeer, there would also be room for a casino, an indoor ice stadium, an amusement park and four campsites.
The first steps were taken as early as 1969, but after ten years of incubation the plan was finally killed in 1981 by the then Ministry of Culture, Recreation and Social Work: it was far too megalomaniac. The plan ended up at the bottom of a desk drawer at the town hall. Coincidentally the office of the newly hired Licht.
“I then took the initiative to re-examine that plan,” he laughs. Because Licht saw opportunities. Firstly, by moving the lake from the north to the south of Emmen. “In this way, it became a beautiful decoration on the south side of the Rietlanden district under construction. Moreover, it allowed us to join in with the plans to make the Drenthe-Groningen Peat Colonies more recreationally attractive.”
For the construction of the Rietplas, the financing, approximately 160 million guilders, had to come from the market. Rob J., an investor from Blaricum, is put forward through engineering firm Oranjewoud. “They had good experience with him and he had been involved in similar projects before.”
Attracting J. eventually led to what would go down in the books as ‘The Great Rietplas Affair’. No one is concerned at first. The assets of this investor included hundreds of millions of guilders, as evidenced by a bank guarantee that the municipality saw. “He surrounded himself with reliable parties, such as the financial office Moret Ernst & Young.”
J.’s lifestyle also reflected luxury. He lived in the former villa of TV star Mies Bouwman, transported himself in fancy cars with a private driver and never went anywhere without a strong set of bodyguards. “With the necessary air he made a fairly convincing impression.”
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