The Heerenveen municipal council approved two essential project plans during the council meeting on Thursday evening: the redevelopment of the ABC complex and an additional credit for the construction of a new underground parking garage with 350 parking spaces. These decisions mark an important step in the redevelopment of the center of Heerenveen. Despite costs being higher than budgeted, the council confirmed that the long-term benefits of the project outweigh the disadvantages of these additional costs.
The approved projects are crucial parts of ‘Heerenveen also ‘n Gouden Plak’: a vision that was developed together with residents and local entrepreneurs during G1000 and G20 meetings. The center must become more compact, more complete and future-proof.
The parking garage forms the basis for many developments designed for the renewal of the center. Thanks to the arrival of the new garage, the squares in the center can be made greener. This makes the center more attractive, stimulates biodiversity and reduces heat stress. With a parking garage under Burgemeester Kuperusplein, the supermarket can move and it becomes possible to redevelop the ABC complex. This then paves the way for a cultural district with a new library, affordable housing and a lively and more accessible center.
Research into finances and alternatives
The municipal council had an extensive financial investigation carried out into the parking garage at an earlier stage. Alternative plans have also been considered. Although the construction costs of the original plan were higher in this study, the council confirmed that alternative solutions – such as a smaller parking garage or a different location – were not desirable due to several limiting consequences of these alternatives.
Alderman Sybrig Sytsma says:
“The decisions taken give us the opportunity to realize our vision for the redevelopment of the center of Heerenveen. This is a great step forward, where we work with our residents and local entrepreneurs to create a center that is not only more beautiful, but also more functional and future-proof. Although we faced difficult decisions under challenging circumstances, we made them carefully. The result is a future-proof decision that benefits Heerenveen. We can rightly be proud of this.”
The national government supports plans with subsidies
The center development is supported by government subsidies. For example, the municipality of Heerenveen has already received a subsidy of €4.1 million for the construction of the parking garage and last week received another €1.75 million through the Housing Development Impulse for the construction of two hundred affordable homes in Center-Oost. This latest subsidy should help to reduce the regional housing shortage among low- to middle-income residents.
“In addition,” Alderman Sytsma emphasizes: “This week we received fantastic news with the allocation of the Housing Building Impulse subsidy of €1.75 million by the government. This contribution helps us to build more homes in the center, making the shopping area more compact. This subsidy is very important for the plans for the ABC complex, which includes a new library and affordable housing. With this we are making a great step towards a future-proof, vibrant and lively center, where meeting is central and where it is pleasant to live.”
Posted on April 26, 2024, 2:29 PM | Modified on April 26, 2024, 2:29 PM
