Will the town hall in Grootegast become a café? Or homes? This is what the residents want DVHN Summer Tour

On the edge of the Grootegast shopping center is an iconic building made of red bricks. Complete with bell tower. ‘1912 Raadhuis Grootegast’ is written in black letters on the facade of the building. This function has ceased to exist since the municipal reorganizations of 2019. Since then, Grootegast has been part of the municipality of Westerkwartier, with the administrative heart in Zuidhorn.

The result: the town hall in Grootegast is superfluous.

If you ask the residents what they would like to see in the building, a silence often follows. “Yes, what should be in the town hall”, Douwe van der Vaart (61) wonders aloud. He stares doubtfully through his glasses in the direction of the town hall.

“Maybe something for young people?” suggests Van der Vaart. He has lived in Grootegast for six years, but still calls himself a Lutjegaster. “It would be a shame if a project developer builds apartments in the building.”

Living places for refugees or cafe

Two men who immediately know what to do with the property are Jaap Tammega (84) and Weit Drent (92). They all agree: places to live for asylum seekers or refugees from Ukraine.

Tammega herself did administrative work for the municipality years ago. Now, on a warm summer day, he and Drent seek the shadow of the former town hall, where they stand against the wall with their walkers. They muse about the past. “There used to be an old farm there, I can still see it,” says Drent, pointing to the parking lot opposite him.

“The town hall should not remain empty,” says Tammega. With a finger in the air he says: ,,But we have to be careful with it, it’s antique. I am proud of the building.” Drent looks through his sunglasses and nods in agreement.

The same idea is suggested by Gé Wulpstra (64), who has lived in Grootegast for at least fifty years. for the housing shortage. Or something like the old café that used to be here,” she points to the Aldi in the center. “A brown café with something to eat.”

On Saturday evenings, 19-year-old Yanick Heeringa, like most young people from Grootegast, goes to inn In de Groote Gast. He has to think for a moment about the interpretation of the town hall. “I am satisfied.” After a short silence: ,,We have discussed with the boys about a terrace where we can drink a beer on Sunday.”

Public function back in Grootegast

With loaves of bread in their hands, Wobbe van der Bij (56) and his wife Anita (57) walk through Grootegast. They come from Lutjegast and do their shopping in Grootegast. What do they like to see in the building? “That the town hall will open again,” says Wobbe firmly. “Zuidhorn is not that central.”

He continues: ,,But I don’t think that’s in it. Then it should be given a public destination. A museum or something.” Still, he remains hopeful that the town hall will return to Grootegast.

Catering, but no cafeteria

The business association knows what it wants in the old building: catering. Local residents are mouth watering at the idea. The village has several cafeterias, but there is no place for extensive dining and eating (without frying fat).

A smile appears on the face of Weit Hamersma, chairman of Ondernemend Grootegast, as soon as he fantasizes about the details. He talks about the ideas from his bakery in Grootegast, which is less than two hundred meters from the town hall. In any case, daytime catering is at the top of the list. A restaurant and cafe, for example. “I have a few tables here. But real catering is still lacking and that is necessary to attract tourists to Grootegast.”

But it doesn’t stop there. If it were up to him, there will also be a museum and a bed and breakfast in the old town hall. But we have to wait for the sale, after which a tendering process will start. “We want to prevent us from fishing behind the net and an investor building homes and offices. We hope to have a voice in the interpretation of the building.”