Getting a plan approved by the municipality can take some time, but it now appears that a consensus has been reached.” Astrid van den Berg of Doniger Urban Developments and Raymond Coronel of Coronel Adventures are optimistic that their new proposal for the Du Crocq building and its surrounding area will secure the support of the municipal council.
Doniger Urban Developments, in partnership with Coronel, owns the Du Crocq building. Since 2018, they have been developing a plan to construct homes and apartments within the historic structure and its immediate vicinity. “It’s frankly absurd that we’re sitting here with these kinds of industrial halls in a location like this,” says Coronel, gesturing toward the view overlooking the old harbor. It is therefore only logical that Doniger has put forward a plan for the further development of the area surrounding the Old Harbor.
355 homes
The initial plans for the Du Crocq building and its surrounding area date back to 2022. At that time, the proposal included 355 homes and apartments—a scale deemed “too large” and “inconsistent with the existing urban fabric.” A year later, a revised plan was introduced, reducing the number of units to 300. The alderman rejected this proposal, remarking, “We don’t want a harbor area that becomes inaccessible to others.” Two years ago, following extensive calculations and design work, Doniger and Coronel presented a plan for 227 apartments. Not only did this fail to gain support from the municipality, but local residents also immediately launched a petition against it.
Now, a proposal for 159 homes has been put forward, consisting of a mix of apartments and ground-oriented (row or terraced) houses. “We believe this plan aligns perfectly with the municipal executive’s requirements. An additional floor will be added to the Du Crocq building, which will be entirely converted into social-housing apartments. In total, one-third of the development will fall within the social-housing segment, and just over half will be classified as ‘affordable’ housing. This allows us to make a significant contribution to the stock of affordable homes in Huizen,” explains Astrid van den Berg of Doniger Urban Development, outlining why she believes the current plan stands a good chance of receiving municipal approval.
According to Raymond Coronel, the financial viability of the current plan is directly linked to the rise in housing prices. “With this number of units, the numbers finally add up. You do, after all, need a certain amount of scale.”
Parking Areas
One of the common stumbling blocks in many development plans is parking. According to Van den Berg, this has been addressed entirely within the site itself through the use of so-called “parking areas”—parking areas situated along the perimeter of the site. “This leaves plenty of room for greenery between the apartments and the houses. The central area will have a park-like character. Furthermore, the positioning of the buildings has been carefully considered with regard to sightlines, ensuring that the ‘Oude Haven’ (Old Harbor) remains visible.”
In the new plan, the homes along Havenstraat will feature an aesthetic that complements the surrounding environment and the atmosphere of the harbor. “Naturally, we have taken a close look at other projects that have already been built or are currently in the pipeline. Our plan is designed to align with those,” says Van den Berg.
Size and scale
No public participation regarding the new plan has taken place yet. “The neighborhood is, of course, aware that we are working on this. They received a letter at the end of August, and the website wonenindeoudehaven.nl is now live. The discussion centers primarily on volume and feasibility. In our view, this proposal fits perfectly within the size and scale of the surrounding area. Naturally, we intend to discuss this further with the local community. We hope to hold the first public participation meetings before the end of this year,” says Van den Berg.
Doniger and Coronel are still considering how to utilize the commercial spaces along Havenstraat. “We hope to attract a hospitality business, or perhaps something related to the harbor. That would immediately draw more people to the area. But then again, the public participation process might yield some excellent suggestions,” they add, sounding hopeful.
Source: De Gooi- en Eemlander
