New waterfront for Dutch city of Harderwijk
The Waterfront consortium, consisting of Royal Boskalis Westminster NV and the TBI companies Synchroon and Koopmans Bouwgroep, is set to realize an ambitious waterfront project in the Dutch municipality of Harderwijk.
Boskalis will execute all the civil engineering and underground infrastructural work involved. Synchroon and Koopmans Bouwgroep are responsible for the commercial development of the 40 hectare area. The value of this project to Boskalis is in excess of €50m.
A couple of years ago the project ran into delays as a result of planning procedures and the uncertain economic outlook. Good cooperation between all the parties involved enabled the innovative redevelopment of the plan. Work is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2012 and is set to last at least six years.
A Boskalis spokesperson said, “This development is an important impulse to the attractiveness of Harderwijk from a residential and recreational perspective. Businesses and industries currently situated between the old town and the Veluwerand lake will be relocated to a new industrial area.
“The old industrial port area will be redeveloped to accommodate residential, shopping and recreational facilities, on and around the waterfront. Furthermore, the boulevard will be developed into an appealing area connecting the old city centre and the Veluwerand lake.”
Boskalis will deploy wet and dry earth moving equipment for the project. In the first quarter of 2012, Boskalis will start with the creation of the ‘Beach Island’ (Strandeiland), thereby creating the only sandy public beach for the city. At the same time, the existing marina will be relocated and a visitors' mooring and a port for the old fleet of fishing boats will be created. The attractive boulevard connecting the old city centre, the waterfront and the nearby Dolfinarium theme park will extend all the way to a new residential area called ‘The Islands’ (De Eilanden) and ‘The Beacons’ (De Bakens), which are yet to be created.
