Start construction energy-neutral shopping centre Hart van de Waalsprong
News item, Area and Property Development
Nijmegen, 21 June 2021 - Together with alderman Noël Vergunst (the alderman for urban development, spatial planning, cultural history, zoning policies and culture) of the municipality of Nijmegen, area developers AM and VanWonen (who have joined forces in the development combination Hart van de Waalsprong) are celebrating the festive official start of Hart van de Waalsprong in Nijmegen. With a few hefty blows with a stick, given by alderman Vergunst, the heartbeat of the new core of the Waalsprong was symbolically set in motion. This area will become the beating heart of the Waalsprong. For all inhabitants of Nijmegen, New Nijmegen Heart Walking was introduced: a walking route that runs from the old to the new city centre in the shape of a heart. Last weekend, various savoury snacks could be enjoyed while walking the route.
Noël Vergunst, the alderman for urban development of the municipality of Nijmegen: “In Hart van de Waalsprong - part of Hof van Holland - 500 new homes are built. These will be ground-oriented houses, owner-occupied and rental apartments, as well as social housing. The development will provide a solution for new target groups in a tight housing market. I am also pleased that with the creation of this contemporary central area we are fulfilling our promise to the residents of Lent and Oosterhout to realise more stores. It will be a sustainable, vibrant district with a distinct character.”
Marien Kleinjan, director of AM, on behalf of the development partnership: “An integrated approach to housing, commercial and social facilities ensures that Hart van de Waalsprong will be a neighbourhood for everyone. We are proud of this step and of our contribution as a socially engaged area developer.”
Mireille Jeurnink, director of Property Development at VanWonen: “The place we are creating here is ready for the future and for climate change. With a solar park on the roofs, which means that the shopping centre and the homes will be energy-neutral. And with a public space designed for meeting and interacting with others.”
Hart van de Waalsprong: living and shopping in a diverse and energy-neutral fashion
Hart van de Waalsprong is an integral development by area developer AM and area and property developer VanWonen. The development site covers a total of six hectares and offers space for 11,800 m² of facilities and 500 homes. These are distributed over seven blocks. The 280 owner-occupied homes and 220 rental homes, including 101 social rental homes and 119 homes in the private rental sector, are located in various parts of the district. Meeting others is the central theme in the urban development design of this core area. This is possible at the central square, but also in the various parks and courtyards that offer a variety of recreational opportunities. The ambition here, to create the first energy-neutral shopping centre in the Netherlands, can be specifically seen in the use of solar panels, from which electricity can be purchased locally through an energy cooperative. Hart van de Waalsprong is climate adaptive with its innovative wadis (gullies that can hold rain water), water-storage roofs and the many green areas and trees that provide water management and cooling. There are also sustainable mobility solutions. From the very moment the new residents will receive the keys of their homes, the shared electric cars of We Drive Solar will be available to them, reducing car ownership and CO2 emissions.
Realisation
Hart van de Waalsprong consists of nine blocks. The first five blocks have been assigned to contractors. The construction of the Bliek building has already started. The blocks Alver, Bliek and Crevas will be built by Janssen de Jong Bouw and have been designed by Monadnock, Brink Architectuur en Stedenbouw, Level of Detail Architecten and Korthtielens. The first part of the Bliek block consists of 50 apartments that will be available for rent in the social housing sector. Before the summer, the construction of the Crevas building, 30 ground-oriented, owner-occupied houses and 30 rental apartments, will start, followed by the 37 ground-oriented owner-occupied houses in Alver. In autumn, the construction of the remaining part of the Bliek building will start: eight townhouses and a parking facility for the neighbourhood.
The apartment buildings Donk and Elft will be built by Dura Vermeer and have been designed by De Zwarte Hond. They offer a mixed-use programme with approximately 9,000 m2 of commercial units and 221 homes. In addition to a large Albert Heijn and Aldi supermarket, there will be more than 20 smaller units for retail, services and cafés/restaurants. A total of 51 social rental apartments, 89 other rental apartments and 81 owner-occupied apartments will be realized. Construction is expected to continue through the fall of 2023.
Image: alderman Noël Vergunst delivers the symbolic first heartbeats together with drum band DrumBoost.
