Groningen is embarking on a new housing adventure! The city partnered with real estate companies VolkerWessels Vastgoed, VanWonen, BPD, and housing corporations Lefier and Nijestee to develop a green and healthy neighborhood around the Eemskanaal between the Damsterdiep and the Sontweg. The new car-free district will be called Stadshavens.
The area, which currently has a very industrial feel with old smokestacks and bare brick walls, will be home to approximately 3,300 residences, 33,000m2 of commercial space and a large park. The Damsterdiep and the quays along the Eemskanaal will be renovated and greened. A new bridge for cyclists and pedestrians will be constructed over the canal.
“Stadshavens will be a district that we’ve never had before in Groningen. Metropolitan, quirky, green and for everyone. The monumental buildings such as EMG [grain silo] and the Cova chimney will soon be next to modern nature-inclusive architecture. The area is undergoing a major metamorphosis. We lay down the framework for this in the preliminary draft environmental plan. Residents can now have a say in this”, says alderman for housing Rik van Niejenhuis.
The city and developers are hosting a series of meetings to promote the project and gather community input and concerns about the draft environmental plan and the environmental impact report. The documents are available for perusal from February 16 through March 29 at Damsterdiep 271. Walk-in consultation hours will be held every Wednesday afternoon between 2pm and 4pm.
Suggestions from these meetings will help the developers determine which elements to incorporate into the final neighborhood design plan. Everyone is welcome to attend and view design elements that have been chosen and learn about the timeline this project will have over the next months.
The plans for Stadshavens derive from the city’s environmental vision and the 2018 Eemskanaal zone development strategy. The area is envisioned to be a space for everyone, with owner-occupied homes, social and rental housing, and business premises that are built sustainably and without natural gas.
The city and development companies will spend the next year in planning phases, raising funds for construction and designing the neighborhood. For up-to-date information and maps, please view the project website at stadshavens.nl.
