The municipality of Assen will invest five million euros to give the shopping streets around Koopmansplein a better appearance. Above ground there is mainly more greenery and there is also renewal taking place below ground. But the entrepreneurs and residents of the city center have mixed feelings about the plans.
Now that the Koopmansplein is ready, the municipality believes that the ‘living room’, as the square is called, and the rest of the city center should fit together. That’s why the shopping streets are going upside down. There will be more greenery, there will soon be more benches and terraces in the middle of the green zones. There is also more space in the plans for parking bicycles.
Everything was presented during the walk-in meeting in the VVV. But among those present there was mixed feeling about the plans. “On the one hand, it is good that the municipality is going to do something about the city center, because the streets can no longer be used. But what is a pity is that six trees are being removed. Only one will come back for that, while they want more greenery, I don’t understand that,” says one of the city center entrepreneurs.
Another entrepreneur joins in. “They remove the trees that are there now. Beautiful, large trees. And then replace those small low trees. I don’t understand that. Because what does that do to the appearance of the shops. Is the green in front of the facade and the name of your shop? I would regret that.”
The work will be carried out in two phases to minimize disruption. The first phase concerns the Kruisstraat, Markstraat and Weiersloop. The refurbishment will start there in the week of October 2. Then the relocation of cables and pipelines is first on the schedule. The shops will remain accessible.
The renovation is expected to start in January next year. Then the green is laid and the paving. Everything in the streets becomes shared space, says the municipality. “That means that everything is on the ground floor. So no sidewalk for walkers. But they do have their own path, which is indicated with different colors of stones. So that everyone knows where on the road it belongs.”
If everything goes according to plan, the first phase will be completed by the end of 2024. The second phase, the Gedempte Singel, Oude Molenstraat and Oudestraat, will probably not be completed until 2025. The schedule for this is not yet known.