Alderman Chantal Zeegers (Climate, Construction and Housing) will celebrate the start of construction of this Vesteda complex together with representatives from pension fund ABP, contractor Dura Vermeer, developer Focus on Impact and investor/landlord Vesteda.

“It’s great news that lots of new homes can now be built in this special place in Vreewijk, in the former location of the Daniel den Hoed cancer centre. Together, we have done everything we can make sure we can continue to build. The project will help create a better mix of housing types in the neighbourhood, also in the mid-rental segment,” said alderman Chantal Zeegers.

Bart van Dijk, Managing Director of Dura Vermeer Bouw Zuid West agreed: “After intensive and effective cooperation with Focus on Impact and Vesteda, the project is now ready for us to start construction. We are extremely happy with this and together with our partners we will make this an amazing project.”

“After putting our all into this project, this is the moment we have been really looking forward to,” says Philip van der Ent, Commercial Director at developer Focus on Impact. “Together with our valued partners, we have worked tirelessly to get the go-ahead for the construction of the 160 apartments on 22 November. Next year, we will see the start on the construction of the final 83 houses, completing this special residential area. Cooperation really is the key to success here! With this fantastic step forward, we are doing our bit to alleviate the housing shortage in Rotterdam.”

“The Zuiderhof project is a wonderful addition to our portfolio,” says René Tim, head of Acquisitions & Development at Vesteda. “Besides adding 160 high-quality mid-rental segment and free-sector rental homes to our portfolio, we are also ensuring social impact by renting out the homes on a priority basis to candidates in key professions. The fact that we managed to realise such a project at this time is thanks to the commitment of everyone involved to continue building even in these more challenging times.”

About Zuiderhof

Vesteda’s new-build Zuiderhof complex consists of five different blocks: two stand-alone apartment buildings and three blocks of gallery apartments. A semi-underground car park with 75 parking spaces, storage areas and a spacious bicycle shed will be built beneath one of the apartment buildings. The complex is located between Dordtsestraatweg and Groene Hilledijk and partly adjacent to the Valkeniersweide park. The Zuidplein shopping centre is a 10-minute walk away and the shops on the Beijerlandselaan are within five minutes’ cycling distance. The neighbourhood offers childcare facilities and schools for children. Tram station Groene Hilledijk is a five-minute walk away and residents can reach Rotterdam Central Station by metro within 12 minutes.

Chantal Zeegers, Rotterdam Alderman for Climate, Construction and Housing: “It’s great news that lots of new homes can now be built in this special place in Vreewijk, in the former location of the Daniel den Hoed cancer centre. Together, we have done everything we can make sure we can continue to build. This project will help create a better mix of housing types in the neighbourhood, also in the mid-rental segment.”

Harmen van Wijnen, ABP Board Chairman: “ABP wants to build together for good pensions in a liveable world. The Netherlands has a housing shortage and our participants experience that too. We have been investing in Vesteda for decades and, as trusted partners, we started looking for ways that we could help to come up with solutions. And we have been successful. Thanks to our additional investment in Vesteda, we are realising affordable rental homes where our participants are given priority. Making this an attractive long-term investment that pays off in good pensions and homes for our participants.”

Gertjan van der Baan, Vesteda CEO: “We are proud that our early investor is making it possible to build more affordable rental housing in the Netherlands, while providing the fund with liquidity. Thank you to everyone involved who made this possible.”

About the Zuiderhof project
Vesteda has acquired the Zuiderhof project from developer Focus on Impact and contractor Dura Vermeer. The project is part of the Vreewijk garden village in the Feijenoord district of Rotterdam-South. The project consists of 160 two, three and four-room apartments, with floor space ranging from 48 m² to 112 m². According to current planning, these mid-rental segment and free-sector apartments will be rented out in 2026. The rents of the mid-rental apartments meet the City of Rotterdam’s conditions and range between € 808 and € 1,075 per month (price level 2023). The apartments will be rented on a priority basis to candidates in key professions, including teachers, police officers and healthcare workers, who have taken out their pensions with ABP. The festive start of construction will take place on Wednesday, 22 November.

On Wednesday 15 March, the Struikroven foundation signed a cooperation agreement with Heijmans, Vesteda, BAM Wonen, ERA Contour, Dura Vermeer and Urgenda. These strategic partners will help the foundation achieve its mission more quickly. Its mission? That saving plants and shrubs becomes a standard part of demolition, renovation and redevelopment projects in the Netherlands.

Collaboration
This strategic collaboration creates a coalition that is working hard to make the conservation and reuse of existing greenery the norm on construction sites. And it will help the foundation to continue to develop its activities and its organisation.

Co-founder Annelous Fleuren: “I am delighted that these leading players have now expressed their confidence in Struikroven. This coalition will help us to have a greater impact. You may be able to move quickly alone, but together you can get much more done and you can ultimately change a system.”

Before the signing of the agreement, the six partners expressed their wishes and ideas for the coming years. On top of their financial investment, they are looking to encourage each other to come up with new ideas, collaborative efforts and innovations.

Pieter Knauff: “Nature connects! Struikroven’s mission to deal with existing greenery in a circular way and promote social cohesion in the neighbourhood is a perfect fit with our mission to rent affordable, sustainable housing in a liveable and nature-inclusive living environment.”

Continued development
The foundation can now make major strides thanks to this support. For instance, an additional batch of ‘Struikrovers’ (literally shrub bandits) will be trained this year at the Struikroven Academy. In addition to this, the development of Rover Gardens (gardens for temporary greenery) is a step closer to reality. The foundation’s ultimate goal is to cooperate with eight parties and the national government.

About the Struikroven Foundation
Stichting Struikroven rescues existing greenery from front and back gardens and gives it a new lease of life in the area. It does this together with local residents, commissioned by housing corporations and investors, property developers or local authorities. The greenery is given a second life in the gardens of local residents, in public spaces or in a so-called Rover Garden, where any greenery saved is given a temporary home.

In Parkstad in Rotterdam, Heijmans is developing and building De Kuil for Vesteda, with a total of 120 apartments spread across three blocks and 45 parking spaces in the car park. In addition, Vesteda acquired around 550 m² of commercial space in April. A large proportion of the two-person flats in the complex have very affordable regulated rents, and some of these apartments will be rented on a priority basis to key workers, such as teachers, care and nursing staff and police officers.

Pieter Knauff: “Following the earlier acquisition of 76 compact rental apartments in the De Kuil project, we are now increasing and broadening our rental offering by adding another 44 spacious rental apartments, offering an average of 81 m² of living space. These rental homes are also intended for middle-income earners. De Kuil is walking distance from the Rijnhaven, the Rotterdam South railway station and numerous other amenities. The project scores high on nature inclusiveness, environmental performance, such as water storage and heat stress, as well as on social cohesion”.

At the location of the former Twentse Textiel Maatschappij (TETEM), Koopmans is realising TETEM 3 for Vesteda. This name is the project name for the last iconic building to be realized in the Roombeek district. "As Koopmans, we are proud to be able to make this contribution to the reconstruction of the 'own' Enschede," says Hans Smit, Chairman of the Board of Koopmans Bouwgroep.

The completion of the apartment complex is expected at the end of 2024. Vesteda will then rent out the apartments under the historicizing name 'De Weverij'. "The name and the beautiful design of De Weverij do justice to the rich history of the location and the tragic fireworks disaster that hit the district in May 2000. On that identity, 116 new residents of rental properties in the middle segment will soon be able to build their home and community," says Pieter Knauff.

The Singelblok, a large apartment complex with two high towers, will soon rise on Elzenhagensingel in Elzenhagen Zuid. This new development is a response to the huge demand for mid-segment rental housing and care homes, among other things. The building’s plinth level will offer room for commercial business activities, which will add liveliness to the complex.

Pieter Knauff, chief investment officer at Vesteda: "In these uncertain and challenging times, it is good news for the city that the realisation of Singelblok has started. People will soon be able to live affordably, close to all the amenities and the nature of the rural area of Amsterdam North. With the North-South line around the corner, you can be in Amsterdam's city centre within 10 minutes."   

Bert Halm, board chairman at Eigen Haard, is very happy that construction has started: "It’s great that we are adding over 200 rental homes to the social and mid-segment in this easily accessible spot in Amsterdam."

Affordable rental homes

The project was developed by CZAN (Blauwhoed and AM development combine) on behalf of Eigen Haard and Vesteda. Heddes Bouw & Ontwikkeling is responsible for the construction of the project. Vesteda will soon rent out 171 liberalised sector and 14 mid-segment rental homes. Eigen Haard will rent 75 social rental homes and 75 mid-segment rental homes, 66 care homes (perMens) and three commercial spaces. The complex will also offer a total of 101 parking spaces. With its diverse range of affordable apartments, the Singelblok will offer homes for a large group of home seekers in Amsterdam.

Director of residential at Blauwhoed, Eltjo Bouwman: "The aim is to make Elzenhagen a neighbourhood for everyone. For young and old, single people and families. This is why we are developing different housing types in the social, mid-segment and liberalised rental sectors."

Focus on well-being

The homes will be built for the future and with a focus on well-being. For instance, the building will be equipped with a hybrid power plant (heating and cooling) provided by “West Poort Warmte” for the building and the neighbourhood. The building will also be equipped with solar panels and a water storage facility for rainwater. Catering establishments and a communal courtyard garden will encourage meetings between local residents. There will also be a community room, where residents of Elzenhagen Zuid can get together. A courtyard garden for Singelblok residents will be built on the roof of the car park.

The homes will be delivered to residents in mid-2025.

Stebru developed and is realising the project in close cooperation with Studio Leon Thier and HVE Architects. The new building complex will consist of 205 apartments: 30% social, 20% mid-segment, 50% private sector and over 4,500 m² of commercial space.

The apartments offer a living area of between 48 m² and 86 m², with an average of 68 m². The apartments will be handed over to Vesteda in the third quarter of 2024, after which leasing will begin. The complex also includes space for bars and restaurants. These will be realised along the water of the Binckhaven wharf and in the free-standing Van Klingeren Pavilion. This pavilion was designed in the 1970s by Frank van Klingeren, to whom the project owes its special name. 

New urban district

New Brooklyn will be a new urban district in Almere-Poort, with 1,400 homes for sale and rent in the social, mid-market and liberalised rental sectors. Thanks to its varied mix of homes, New Brooklyn will have a diverse and urban character in a green and water-rich environment. The architecture of this urban district was inspired by the borough of the same name in New York.

Accessibility and facilities

The New Brooklyn project is located along the Europalaan in Almere Poort, within walking distance of the Almere Poort train station. Educational institutions, shops and a supermarket are all located in the immediate vicinity of New Brooklyn. Nature and the beach are both within cycling distance.

The De Kuil project consists of 226 homes: 76 rental homes and 150 owner-occupier homes. The project is marked by the high quality of its urban design and architecture. The project has a ‘hard’ exterior, consisting of a brick facade with a relief. The interior will be executed using timber, making it 'soft'. To find the right balance between quality and affordability, we opted for a compact design for the homes, with an efficient lay-out. The project includes an inner garden and a communal courtyard, so there is plenty of public space. The rental properties are intended for key workers, such as nurses, teachers and police officers, among others.

Pieter Knauff sees De Kuil as a great addition to Vesteda's previous Rotterdam acquisitions: "De Kuil is within walking distance of the Rijnhaven, Rotterdam South NS railway station and numerous other facilities. Here we will soon offer 76 compact two-room homes with a long-term highly affordable regulated rent. At least 30% of the homes will be rented to key workers on a priority basis. This project scores high on nature inclusiveness, environmental performance, sustainability, energy efficiency and social cohesion."

De Kuil is located on the corner of Laan op Zuid, Brede Hilledijk and Paul Krugerstraat in Rotterdam South. This district has excellent public transport via tram and metro. The centre of Rotterdam is just three stops away by tram.

The apartment complex Vesteda is acquiring is part of the Podium plan, which consists of 440 new homes, including houses, townhouses and apartments. The apartments in the tower will be rented in the mid-market rental segment and are intended for key workers, such as nurses, teachers and police officers, among others.

The design

Designed by Klunder Architects, the slender omni-directional tower block has an appealing design in the shape of an iron, reminiscent of the Flatiron Building in New York. The first seven floors form the base of the tower. This section is slightly thicker than the rest of the tower and has six to seven homes per layer. The tower narrows from the seventh floor to the 14th floor, reducing the number of apartments per floor to three.

Location

The entrance to the homes is located at the tip of the building, right next to Amersfoort Vathorst NS train station and within walking distance of the local shopping centre. The complex has a communal roof garden on the second floor. Beneath the roof garden is the parking garage with 179 parking spaces. Vesteda will acquire 68 of these parking spaces.

"We are delighted to add these homes to our portfolio in a project in which affordability, liveability and sustainability go hand in hand," said Pieter Knauff, Chief Investment Officer at Vesteda.

Typisch Tuinstad is a Vink Bouw development in collaboration with Hendriks CPO and Vireo Vastgoed. The plan consists of 190 homes, 70 of which will be owner-occupier homes. The plan devotes a great deal of attention to liveability and sustainability and, as the name (typical garden city) suggests, was inspired by the theme of the former garden cities. The project will include two large courtyard gardens, which will be part private and part communal. The ground floor of the complex will house a number of social amenities.

Bernlef de Vries, Development Director at Vink Bouw: "We involved Vesteda at an early stage of the planning process, which helped us to arrive at an optimal plan."

Milestones passed

On 11 March, the people directly involved from Westerwal will come together to consider – and celebrate - the milestones this project has now passed. This was not possible any earlier due to the pandemic. In anticipation of the definitive delivery in the spring of this year, alderman Roeland van der Schaaf from the Groningen city council and Vesteda’s Chief Investment Officer, Pieter Knauff, unveiled one of the artworks above the entrance to the apartment building. This and the other artworks have been produced by Dutch sculptor Gert Sennema.

Westerwal new-build plan

Westerwal is located in the area between Van Heemskerckstraat and Admiraal de Ruyterlaan in de popular Zeehelden neighbourhood of Groningen. In addition to the 171 rental apartments, the construction of which started in March 2020, the project also includes 22 owner-occupier homes. The owner-occupier homes have now been sold and delivered to their new owners. Vesteda will take delivery of the apartments from Friso Bouwgroep on a turnkey basis this spring.

Need for mid-segment rental homes

Groningen is faced with a severe shortage of apartments and the city’s middle-income residents are putting pressure on the liberalised rental sector. They do not qualify for social rental homes and are opting more and more frequently for mid-segment rental homes. This makes the 171 apartments in Westerwal a valuable addition to the housing supply in the city of Groningen.

Fine living

The above-mentioned location is a piece of undeveloped land at the junction of the Grote Beer and Hoofdweg roads. The Grote Beer apartment complex will be located next to the Alexandrium shopping centre. This is an ideal location to live; it is close to the Rotterdam-Alexander metro and railway station and to a wide range of local amenities. Dura Vermeer expects to start construction on the high-rise apartment complex later this year.

Grote Beer

The Grote Beer apartment complex will include two, three and four-room apartments, varying in size from 57 m2 to 83 m2. The 21-storey complex will be 68 metres high, close to energy neutral and completely gas free. The complex will also include a number of roof gardens for residents, while the ground level will offer space for shops and other commercial functions. In the construction of the building, Dura Vermeer will use ‘prefab-all-the way’ construction technology. In addition to prefab shells and facades, bathrooms and toilets will also be delivered and installed in prefab modules. This will shorten the construction time considerably and result in less inconvenience for the local neighbourhood and its residents. Vesteda will rent out the apartments in the mid-rental segment.

Rotterdam’s mid-rental segment action plan

Rotterdam is facing a severe shortage of affordable rental homes for middle-income households. In response to this, in 2019 the Rotterdam city council unveiled its Mid-rental segment action plan. The plan is to build at least 8,000 new rental homes for middle-income Rotterdam households over the next 10 years, giving Rotterdam natives a chance to remain in the city. The development and realisation of the Grote Beer apartment complex is therefore a direct response to the action plan; it is also the first unsolicited proposal to be realised in this excellent and dynamic collaboration between the city of Rotterdam, Dura Vermeer and Vesteda.

Alexanderknoop

Rotterdam is developing into a city with a number of centres. The Alexanderknoop hub is one of these planned city centres. The Alexanderknoop will be a dynamic centre with strong residential, work, retail and leisure functions and a fine place to live in a green and climate-resilient environment. With the development of the Grote Beer apartment complex, the city of Rotterdam, Dura Vermeer and Vesteda will give a significant boost to meeting Rotterdam’s housing needs.

De Weverij is located in the Roombeek neighbourhood of Enschede, a neighbourhood best known as the site of the firework disaster in the year 2000. The neighbourhood has largely been rebuilt with new homes suited to current living requirements. The reconstruction of this location into a modern residential neighbourhood was realised under the auspices of top Dutch architect Pi de Bruijn. For one of the final projects in this neighbourhood, Tangram Architecten have designed a striking building of masonry and glass, De Weverij, which will be owned by Vesteda.

Enschede-based TBI Koopmans Bouwgroep will be responsible for the development and realisation of this complex. This will include 109 rental homes, varying in size from 52 to 122 m². The complex will also include indoor parking places and bike parking facilities. The complex will be gas free and extremely energy efficient. The homes will be heated and cooled using a district heating system.

Vesteda’s Chief Investment Officer, Pieter Knauff: “In a prominent location in the Roombeek new-build neighbourhood, we will add a varied range of mid-segment rental homes in a beautiful residential complex to our portfolio. This will offer homes to a broad target group in a peaceful, sustainable and high-quality living environment, just a 10-minute bike ride from the city centre and Enschede’s main railway station”.

Potential middle-income tenants interested in this complex will be able to register for a homes via vesteda.com from late 2024.

Imagine is located on the border of Parkstad, a new neighbourhood in Rotterdam, at the junction of Laan op Zuid and Rosestraat. The energy-efficient apartment complex consists of two high-rise residential buildings connected at street level by a building with commercial and social functions. Imagine will comprise a total of 295 homes. The light-coloured materials used in the façade will make Imagine a striking new residential icon on the Rotterdam skyline.

The apartments overlook the green courtyard garden, the river Maas, the new Feyenoord City development and look towards the city centre. Imagine was designed by Barcode Architects. The Vesteda apartments will offer living space varying from approximately 50 m2 to 95 m2, with an average of 70 m2. Imagine will offer a varied mix of owner-occupied and rental housing and is suitable for a broad public. Parking will be available in the basement, where there are also shared mobility facilities.

Apartments in the mid-rental segment

With this acquisition, Vesteda is adding another 133 rental apartments in the Rotterdam mid-rental segment, with 59 of these in the government regulated (social) segment. Pieter Knauff, Chief Investment Officer at Vesteda: "Just a stone's throw from the Maas River, Rotterdam Zuid railway station and close to all kinds of other amenities, we will offer 133 spacious and sustainable rental apartments to middle-income renters. Imagine sets the tone for a new high-quality residential area. Our thanks to AM, Heijmans and the City of Rotterdam for the excellent cooperation”.

Wilco van den Ban, speaking on behalf of AM and Heijmans: “We are very pleased that we are creating a new sustainable inner-city living environment that will offer everything at this location, close to the future Feyenoord City. From housing to sports and from parks to nightlife. Anyone who lives in Imagine will be at the birth of a new Rotterdam district. We are pleased with Vesteda's confidence in this project and this area”.

A consortium consisting of BAM Wonen and Heijmans Woningbouw will be responsible for the construction of the project, which is expected to start in October 2021.

The five new homes will all look like boulders. The first home is a detached two-bedroom bungalow and will be rented out from 1 August of this year. The rent will be € 800 a month. Like most of Vesteda’s homes, this bungalow is targeted at middle-income tenants.

Temporary rental

The home will initially be rented out for six months, to give more people a chance to see what it is like to live in such a unique home. And because it will be difficult to guarantee peace and quiet and privacy. In addition to the ongoing construction work on the other four homes, we expect to see a steady stream of visitors to the site.

Sign up

If you are interested, you can sign up for the new home via the Huren in Milestone website. Candidates with the best reasons for wanting to live in this unique development will be invited for an interview and will be in with a chance to live in this 3D-printed home.

Project Milestone is a joint construction and innovation project involving Eindhoven University of Technology, Van Wijnen, Saint-Gobain Weber Beamix, the Eindhoven city council, Witteveen+Bos and Vesteda.

The Regent II design is by Geurts & Schulze. They took their inspiration from the adjacent Regentessekwartier. This is known as a lively neighborhood with large red brick mansions, lots of variety and surprising squares. The façades of Regent II are made of yellow and red bricks, with birdhouses incorporated in special patterns. The building blocks slope away in the center, creating a small square. As a tower, the Regent II is a beacon for the new neighborhood.

Pieter Knauff, director Acquistions: “We are very pleased with the acquisition of these affordable rental properties on the edge of the city center of The Hague, located in a place where Schilderswijk, Regentesse- and Zeeheldenkwartier come together. The location is characterized by its industrial past with the potential of an attractive urban living environment. A suitable addition to Vesteda's portfolio”.

In 2023, candidates can register via the Vesteda website to express their interest in one of the rental properties.

New-build area Westerwal is currently being developed on a former factory site in the highly popular Zeeheldenbuurt area on the west side of the city of Groningen. The apartments vary in size between around 48 m² and 87 m² and will be fitted with individual thermal storage systems and solar panels, which will give them an Energy Performance Coefficient (EPC) of 0. Construction work on the apartments is expected to start in the first quarter of 2020.

Pieter Knauff, director Acquisitions at Vesteda: “Vesteda is very pleased to add the Westerwal project to its portfolio. Thanks to the varied range of homes, we will be able to offer a broad target group an attractive, affordable and sustainable home ‘inside the ring’, just a five-minute bike ride from the city centre of Groningen and Central Station.”

The apartments are being built close to the centre of Veenendaal and will have an average floor surface of 92m². The family houses will be built in the Slotjes Midden neighbourhood of Oosterhout and will have an average floor surface of 124m². All the homes will be sustainable and will be heated without the use of natural gas.

Pieter Knauff, director of Acquisitions at Vesteda: “We are very pleased to add both of these projects to our portfolio and they will help us meet the strong demand for rental homes for middle-income households. The spacious homes in Veenendaal will be within walking distance of the centre of Veenendaal and the Dutch Rail NS station Veenendaal Centrum. Oosterhout, which is located between Breda and Tilburg, offers ready access to the A27 and A59 motorways. The family houses in the project will be part of an existing residential area, complete with amenities, which is currently undergoing large-scale revitalisation.”

Frank van Woerden, director at Van Woerden Vastgoed BV: “Our in-house design team, which included our own architect and modeller, used Building Information Modelling (BIM) to develop and analyse the design of the residential complex. Thanks to the fact that we have put together a project team that includes all disciplines, quality will be safeguarded throughout the (construction) process and end users will have a high-quality building that meets their wishes and requirements.”

The OX will consist of 168 high-quality apartments and an underground parking lot. Van Wijnen, which will be responsible for both the development and the turnkey realisation, is expected to start construction in early 2020.

The OX will be realised in Amsterdam Osdorp, at the intersection of the Osdorper Ban and the Meer en Vaart roads, close to the Sloterplas lake and the Osdorpplein shopping centre. The building will offer two, three and four-room rental apartments, all of which will have a spacious balcony or terrace. The apartments will vary in size from 58 m² to 126 m², with an average size of 70 m². The building was designed by Amsterdam-based architects LEVS Architecten and is in a location that is undergoing rapid development.

Pieter Knauff, Director Acquisitions Vesteda: “The acquisition of the new-build development The Ox gives Vesteda the opportunity to add 168 attractive and sustainable rental homes to its portfolio and to Amsterdam’s housing stock. The project will be largely rented to middle-income households. It is good news for the city that we have been able to combine affordability and feasibility in this location in Amsterdam.”

Frank Klomp, Director of Project Development at Van Wijnen Midden: “We are extremely pleased to develop and realise apartments for the mid-rental segment in Amsterdam Nieuw West. Thanks to this development the De Wildeman and Blomwijcker neighbourhood will have the desired mix of homes. We developed the plan for The Ox in consultation with the Amsterdam city council”.

Van Wijnen and Amsterdam city council were advised by Aqua Vastgoed and Capital Value.

The homes are being realised in the Dotterbloem Erf area of De Draai. The homes have an average floor space of 123 m². Rents will be in the mid-segment of the market. The homes are highly energy-efficient and will be built without any natural gas connections. Lautenbag Architectuur is responsible for the urban planning and design of the homes.

Pieter Knauff, director Acquisitions at Vesteda: “The project is a good fit with the growing demand for affordable rental homes in Heerhugowaard. The city centre and railway station are easily accessible and at the same time these sustainable homes are close to the outer area. An attractive addition to our portfolio.”

Harold Pieters, founder and director of Meacasa: "We are also very pleased with Vesteda as a reliable and sustainable partner for the purchase of our energy-neutral homes. It is interesting to see that Vesteda also manages to realise its sustainability ambitions with one of our sustainable projects in the mid rental segment. Whether it concerns owner-occupied or rental homes; our complete development stock is energy-neutral."

The transaction encompasses an asset deal consisting of an existing residential portfolio and a pipeline of new housing projects. The standing portfolio immediately generates rental income and is highly complementary to the current Vesteda portfolio in terms of quality, geographical locations and rental segments. The pipeline of new housing projects is concentrated in the mid-rental segment and located in economically strong regions. Both the standing assets and pipeline assets are part of the former Delta Lloyd Dutch residential portfolio.

Scope of the transaction:

• 6,777 residential units, representing a total value of €1,509 billion, of which:
  • 5,983 existing units, representing a total value of €1,295 billion
  • 794 pipeline units, representing a total value of €214 billion
• €1,080 billion paid in newly issued participation rights
• €429 billion paid in cash (including instalments to be paid for pipeline projects) from existing facilities and new debt

Gertjan van der Baan, CEO Vesteda: “A transaction of this size is unique in the Dutch housing market. We are extremely delighted with the confidence that NN Group has placed in Vesteda by contributing the former Delta Lloyd residential portfolio to Vesteda and increasing its stake in the fund.

The addition of this portfolio to our existing portfolio strengthens our presence in attractive locations, broadens our housing offering and improves our returns. We will enlarge our offering in the mid-rental segment and strengthen our exposure to core regions. In addition, we will grow the weight of the single-family houses in our portfolio. This transaction will also provide us with operational cost efficiencies and decreases our Total Expense Ratio (TER).”

After completion of the transaction, Vesteda’s standing portfolio will consist of approximately 27,000 residential units representing a value of €6.3 billion. The combined acquisition pipeline will consist of more than 2,500 residential units representing a value of approximately €750 million. Including the acquisition pipeline, Vesteda’s portfolio includes approximately 30,000 residential units, representing a value of around €7 billion.

To maintain its sustainability ambitions, Vesteda aims to upgrade the sustainability profile of the acquired standing portfolio. The average age of the assets in the portfolio is slightly higher than Vesteda’s portfolio and bringing the portfolio up to Vesteda’s sustainability standards requires efforts similar to Vesteda’s existing upgrading programme. To come to the desired energy labels, Vesteda envisages to additionally invest a total of €31 million in the acquired portfolio until the end of 2020. By then, at least 80% of Vesteda’s homes will have an energy label A, B or C and no more than 20% of Vesteda’s homes will have an energy label D.

In order to finance the cash portion of the transaction, Vesteda has arranged a bridge facility, which will be taken out by long-term debt instruments in due course.

Kempen acted as sole financial advisor, JonesLangLasalle as commercial advisor, Allen & Overy LLP, Buren Legal and Loyens & Loeff as legal advisors and EY as a tax advisor for Vesteda in this transaction.

The houses in the project have an average floor space 125 m2, while the apartments have an average of 75 m2. The rental prices for the homes are in the affordable mid-rental segment range. The project is within walking distance of the Arnhem Schuytgraaf train station and the new shopping centre. The homes will be connected to the district heating system and will therefore be gas-free. Koopmans develops the homes according to its own living concept, whereby a variety of unit layouts can be realised.

Pieter Knauff, director Acquisitions at Vesteda: “The project is a good fit with the increasing demand for rental homes in the mid-rental segment in Arnhem. The varied range and a location that offers easy access will also make this project attractive to a broad target group and is therefore complementary to our previously realised single-family houses in Schuytgraaf."

Hans Smit, CEO of Koopmans: "Together with Vesteda, we have looked critically at the design of this project and the look and feel of the apartment building and the houses. It has a good fit with the overall Schuytgraaf neighbourhood."

Vesteda has signed a turnkey agreement for the acquisition of a total of 202 houses in the Punt Sniep project in Diemen. ABC Vastgoed and its financial partner Nedreim are the project developers, while Rotterdam-based KCAP designed the project, which is scheduled for completion in the first half of 2020.

Punt Sniep is located in a central and recognisable area of Diemen, near the new-build neighbourhood Plantage De Sniep and within walking distance of the Diemenplein shopping centre. The location is also notable for its position in the Weespertrekvaart. It is bordered by water on two sides, which makes it look like a peninsula.

The project consists of 202 houses spread over 10 residential blocks, 182 underground parking spaces, 52 ground-level parking spaces and 530m² of commercial space. The houses have usable floor surface varying from around 52m² to around 128m² and are primarily apartments, with a number of town houses.

With an average EPC of -0.107, the project is in line with Vesteda’s high sustainability ambitions. Various measures have been put into place to realise these ambitions, such as PV panels on the roofs and a sustainable heating installation. Also, the project will be realised without a gas connection. A communal garden and a small harbour will be located in the centre of the project, to promote social cohesion among the residents themselves and between residents and visitors.

Pieter Knauff, Director of Acquisitions at Vesteda: ‘The acquisition of Punt Sniep will enable Vesteda to respond to the great demand for liberalised sector rental houses in Diemen and Amsterdam. The small scale but urban feel of the project, the location on the water, and the intimate central area with various facilities give Punt Sniep a unique identity with a varied offering of affordable mid-rental segment houses. The location is a stone’s throw away from Amsterdam and is well-connected by public transport, all of which make it an attractive alternative for people looking for houses in or around the capital.’

Marcel Loosen, Director Planning Development at ABC: “Punt de Sniep is the winning plan concept from a competition organised by the Diemen city council, which has been realised with a great deal of passion. We believe that the fact that this plan concept will be held by a single party in the form of Vesteda in the long-term too will serve as a welcome safeguard for the continuity of this cohesive plan concept.”

This acquisition enables Vesteda to expand its portfolio in an efficient manner, adding affordable rental houses in attractive locations in or around major Dutch cities. The houses are a mix of 258 family houses and 119 apartments. Around 90% of the houses are in the liberalised mid-rental segment, while 10% are in the regulated segment.

All the houses will be realised with an A+++ energy label and will be fitted with solar panels. The apartments in Zutphen (Noorderhaven) will also comply with the BENG (Bijna Energie Neutraal Gebouw) energy neutral norms when they come into effect in 2020.

The project consists of four apartment buildings with a total of 139 apartments in the mid-rental segment with useable floor surface varying from 47m² to 85m². The commercial spaces in the buildings will be available for offices and (healthcare) services.

Kolenpark will be part of Europapark, a new neighbourhood on the south-eastern side of Groningen. The Europapark neighbourhood will be divided into four sub-areas and provides opportunities for living, working, sports and leisure. The location offers easy access by car, train and bike. The name Kolenpark (Coal Park) is a reference to the historical use of the location, which was formerly used as the coal storage location for the old power plant. Kolenpark will be the second large development connected to the WarmteStad collective heat and cold storage (WKO) system. This system provides heating for buildings without the use of natural gas, which makes the heating and air-conditioning for the buildings highly sustainable. The location is adjacent to the very striking (orange) Hete Kolen building.

Pieter Knauff, director of Acquisitions at Vesteda says: “The market in Groningen is developing positively. Groningen is benefiting from the urbanisation trend and the limited number of attractive cities in the north of the Netherlands. Groningen is also facing increasing demand pressure, as a lot of liberalised sector rental properties have been sold off as individual units and that has left little supply. The houses being developed in Kolenpark are an excellent fit with the growing demand for liberalised sector rental homes in Groningen and the project is a good fit with Vesteda’s strategy and portfolio.”

Vesteda and Van Wijnen Noord B.V. developed this new project in close consultation with the Assen city council. Aqua Vastgoed B.V. assisted the parties in their cooperation. Pieter Knauff, director Acquisitions at Vesteda says: “The acquisition of these NOM rental houses is in line with our high sustainability ambitions. The family houses are well designed and will be built in the park-like, village-style setting of Woonpark Diepstroeten. An attractive addition to our portfolio!” Peter Hutten, director of Van Wijnen Noord B.V.: “We are very pleased to be building 45 NOM houses in the liberalised rental market for Vesteda in Diepstroeten. It will create the right mix of house types in the neighbourhood, plus the project will help us to realise our national sustainability targets.”