Vesteda signs contract for 193 mid-rental segment homes in Rotterdam’s Grote Beer
At the Provada real estate trade fair in Amsterdam’s RAI conference centre, Vesteda’s Chief Investment Officer Pieter Knauff, Dura Vermeer’s David Snelleman and the city of Rotterdam’s director of area development, Jos Melchers, signed two contracts. Vesteda and Dura Vermeer will sign a contract for the development and realisation of 193 new-build homes in Alexanderknoop, the area around the Rotterdam-Alexander public transport hub, with Vesteda agreeing to acquire the 193 rental homes. At the same time, the city of Rotterdam and Dura Vermeer will sign a contract for the sale of the land for the project to Dura Vermeer.
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.
