Amsterdam continues Mirvaert plan at Sloterplas, site against bank critics must be silenced

This is evidenced by a draft urban blueprint for the regeneration of Osdorblin’s city center in New West, which was announced on Monday. This includes three options for the new construction of the Teatro de Mervaert. The preferred location is on the southwest bank of the lake, at the corner of Lelylaan and Meer en Vaart.

The new Meervaart is set to become an iconic theater with a maximum height of thirty meters with green roofs, rooftop terraces and a small jetty on the water below. In addition, the banks adjacent to the building will be converted into a pedestrian park and the idea is to put on a show on the bank from time to time. There is no final design yet, for example, an indoor bicycle shed is also being considered.

Building at Sloterplas is controversial, among other things because it remains an oasis of peace, with panoramic views. Several banks are part of the main green structure. In addition, the city council wants to create large parts of the Sloterplas that are not yet green in the coming years, and there is an application to make the banks a protected cityscape.

project with scratches

The new construction around Meervaart is a project with scratches. The city’s residents and politicians were quite surprised in 2020 when it became known without consulting that the city council wanted to place the new construction of the old Mirvaert on Sloterplas.

Previously, residents were provided with two more options: a new building on the existing plot of land or in the corner – on the land – in Cornelis Lillian. However, these sites were not feasible, according to the municipality.

Alderman then promised Turia Mlyani (Art and Culture) that without support there would be no Mirvart in Sloterplas, but the ensuing consultation process further polarized the population and the municipality.

A public support survey conducted later showed that there were an equal number of supporters and opponents in the area for the location in the water. Opponents of building at Sloterplas denounced the study and concluded, in part on the basis of documents released after the WOB request, that the municipality focused too much on the previously envisaged outcome during the public consultation.

In this context, a slim majority of the city council last year approved construction on Sloterplas. The coalition parties did not see realistic alternatives, the population had no clear preference and the businessmen were enthusiastic.

Arrival hotel “financially necessary”

The municipality now hopes to remove much of the criticism of the new favorite site. By placing the Meervaart in the corner opposite the beach – rather than on a separate peninsula – the municipality intends to reduce the width of the Sloterplas and not affect the protected green space.

At the same time, the council is going against the city council by going ahead with the construction of a hotel in the old Meervaart building. Earlier, a proposal to delete the hotel in this location was passed.

According to Aldermann Reiner van Dantzig (Spatial Planning), hotel access is financially necessary to enable other social investments in the area. Also, plans to construct six high-rise residential towers in the corners of the district remain unchanged.

Meervaart’s plans are part of the next phase of development for the larger area around Osdorpplein. The area will become the center of the city of Nieuw-West, which will grow by about 40,000 residents over the next four years. Over the next ten years, the goal is to build about a thousand additional homes, 40% of which will be social housing.

Cost unknown

The development of the entire area around Osdorpplein will face a shortfall of €20 million in the next 10 years, and another €20 million in the following years. The exact details of Meervaart’s new construction and associated costs will follow later. Previously, the total cost of Meervaart at Sloterplas was estimated at around 100 million euros.

The new build of Meervaart is thus part of the discussions on the spring note, where all planned investments – due to impending financial shortfalls – are once again scrutinized.

If all goes according to plan, the new Meervaart will be completed at the end of 2029. Plans for the entire region have now been opened for public consultation for a period of six weeks and information markets will be established. Then it is up to the board to decide.