Vesteda gets green light for first phase of Klokkenhof redevelopment
Vesteda has been given the green light for the start of the planning phase for the renovation and redevelopment of the Klokkenhof complex, including the adjacent buildings on the Surinameplein in Amsterdam. The Amsterdam city council and Vesteda have been in talks for quite some time and have now agreed to explore the possibility of realising around 124 new mid-segment rental homes at this location. In addition to this, Vesteda is looking into the possibility of carrying out major maintenance on 144 social rental homes in the high-rise section of the complex. The chair of the district council, Sebastiaan Capel, and Vesteda’s Chief Investment Officer, Pieter Knauff, have laid down the principles of this project in a covenant.
Institutional residential investor Vesteda is the owner and landlord of the complex on the Surinameplein. The complex, which was built in 1962, consists of a low-rise section (currently 24 homes) and a high-rise section (an apartment complex with 144 apartments and a hotel). In 2020, the Amsterdam city council awarded the high-rise section, together with the adjoining former reading room, the status of listed municipal monument.
Investment
The ambitions for this project include a planned investment in the quality of the listed high-rise section via the complete renovation of the 144 apartments. In addition, Vesteda is exploring the possibility of adding around 124 new-build mid-rental segment apartments at the current location of the low-rise section of the complex. Vesteda has asked developer Lingotto to supervise the process. If the plans are adopted and executed, the city council will redesign the public space around the Klokkenhof complex and the Surinameplein. This will be an enormous boost for the local area.
Resident participation
In the coming months, Vesteda will draw up a redevelopment plan, and we will of course involve the residents of Klokkenhof in this process. Resident participation is due to start soon and will become more intensive as the plans progress.
“Vesteda sees it as a wonderful challenge to work with the Amsterdam city council, local residents and other stakeholders to arrive at a feasible and sustainable redevelopment of this complex. This will include restoring the listed high-rise section to its former glory and adding modern mid-segment rental homes in Amsterdam’s housing stock. The covenant underlines the fact that the city of Amsterdam and Vesteda both want to make this happen. And that’s great news for the city!”
“Thanks to this new project, we will once again be adding a considerable number of much-needed mid-segment rental homes in Amsterdam South. This will be no less than around 124 homes for middle-income households. Due to the listed status of the high-rise section, this will be a complex redevelopment. Right now, we have a solid basis for a plan that will retain the listed section and add more and better homes. It is wonderful that Vesteda wants to invest in this project and we have every faith in the realisation of these plans.”