The north side of the center, the shopping area to the north of Koopmansplein, must therefore discolor in the coming years. This concerns the Ceresplein, the Cerestraat and the Oude Molenstraat. This will be given a function of living, working and social facilities.
Southern part of the public heart
Assen wants to make the southern part of the city center ‘the public heart’. This concerns the area between De Nieuwe Kolk cultural palace (DNK), Koopmansplein and the Drents Museum. This part is rich in history and has attractive shopping streets that attract the most visitors. Assen wants to exploit this more in the future.
However, the Kop van de Vaart and the DNK culture palace must then be better connected to the new public center and thus to the Koopmansplein and the Markt with all its catering establishments. This would have to be done by converting the busy Weiersstraat into the traffic-calmed Weierslaan and extending the terraced area from De Markt to the Kop van de Vaart.
This is evident from the first revised city center vision of Assen, which was presented tonight. The old vision dates from 2017 and is considerably outdated by all kinds of developments. For example, the shopping heart is shrinking more and more, major fashion chains are collapsing due to the rise of the Internet, causing vacancy rates to increase. Assen’s regional position has also declined further.
Compact and short walking lines
Compact, short and logical walking routes and an attractive shopping and leisure area are the most important ingredients for the future. And that is now the case in the heart of Assen. According to consultancies, the center is ‘too big and expansive’. “Walking routes are too long, so that visitor flows dilute and visitors only get to a small part of the center. Due to the lack of cohesion between the areas, navigation is difficult if you are not familiar in the city center,” the experts criticize.
Green historical atmosphere
The green historical atmosphere in the southern part of the city center, and the special appearance due to the architecture of the buildings, is missing in the northern part of the city center, according to the consultancies. Large shopping blocks have been built there, which makes the area less attractive. “The southern city center has a high residential quality. The DNA of Assen and Drenthe is clearly tangible through the historic buildings. Hospitality, art and culture go hand in hand”, he said. praising it.
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Vanderveen the core
The commercial shopping heart of Assen can be found around the Koopmansplein, with ‘t Forum, Mercuriusplein and Kruisstraat. Vanderveen department store is the core of this, according to the consultancies. “With the redesigned Koopmansplein with more greenery, this will be the central place in the city. Parking is well organized, walking distances are clear and different flows converge here.”
Ideally, Assen would also like to have the large retail chains in this audience center. For example, there is plenty of space in the former V&D building. The focus of the revised inner city vision is on relocation of shops, to the compact heart as much as possible. Streets outside, such as the northern part, must transform. This concerns housing and services.
Although the Mercuriuspassage is still popular as a shopping street, the question is whether this could not become a better residential street in the future, or a combination of both. There are many fashion chains, and with the rise of the internet, people foresee a problem there too.
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Triad as a shopping center
The Triade shopping center, which is also located on the north side, has a future as a shopping center, according to the consultants’ analysis. It is too far from the compact city center to continue to participate in shopping in the capital. Triade will include Albert Heijn XL and a Dirk van der Broek branch, as well as a new branch of discount chemist Die Grenze. According to the experts, Triade can develop well as a cluster for daily groceries. There is also room for social facilities.
Citadel without shops
The future is expected to be totally different for the Cité shopping center, which includes Jumbo, Lidl, the Trekpleister and the Mediamarkt. That is a future without retail. The supermarkets will move, according to the analysis. The Mediamarkt has a lease until 2023 and it has been speculated for some time that the Asser location will close. According to the advisers, the Citadel’s retail property is difficult to transform. A cluster of home furnishing shops could be an alternative function. Educational functions are also considered. The parking garage that is now there can serve as a residents’ garage, because of all the apartments in the area, and also more and more homes in the Rolderstraat.
Shopping streets that lie outside the core area but remain intact are Gedempte Singel, Marktstraat and Nieuwe Huizen and Oudestraat. These are streets with local entrepreneurship, according to the analysis, and they want to keep it. Although for the Oudestraat, among others, a gradual transformation is being considered, to a street with more crafts, galleries and also housing.
Not cast in concrete
According to alderman Mirjam Pauwels, the proposal for ‘the compact public heart’ is a first step. “Nothing has been set in stone yet. We really want to know what the city thinks about it. Difficult choices have to be made and we are happy to involve all parties in this”, says Pauwels.
City center organization Vaart in Assen also talks about ‘directions of thought’, where nothing has been set in stone and where it is now up to the field to respond. “Although it will be a painful message for some, because it will only be your store in a street that has to be discolored. These are difficult choices,” says city director Kjeld Vosjan.
Have a say in the inner city vision
Corona makes it difficult, according to the municipality, to organize a consultation meeting about the revised inner city vision. That is why there will be online sessions with entrepreneurs, real estate owners and cultural institutions. All residents can also participate. From next Tuesday there will be a special website online where residents of Assen can give their vision on the first plans and ideas for three weeks. In February next year, there should be a new city center vision in Assen.
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