In the new De Held III district near Gravenburg in Groningen, space has been reserved for a new sports park. This is necessary due to the lack of sports facilities in parts of the city.
According to the municipality of Groningen, the future green residential area is suitable for such a facility. The Held III has yet to be built. After years of discussions between the municipality and the Twente builders, 1850 homes and numerous facilities are being built in this family neighborhood.
Councilor Rik van Niejenhuis (PvdA) could not yet say on Wednesday what the new sports complex will look like. It is therefore unclear whether the emphasis is on indoor accommodation, football fields or a combination of both. “We’re not there yet. The precise details are still a subject of discussion.”
High on the political agenda
In addition to the lack of affordable housing in the city, the shortage of sports facilities is high on the political agenda. The municipality is looking for suitable places and will soon present the outcome of a capacity study. This states how much space is needed to provide sufficient housing for the sports clubs.
The most dire situation is at the Corpus den Hoorn sports park, where the football clubs Groen Geel, GRC and the professionals of FC Groningen share sports fields. Research into this was already done last year. The shortage of space has been causing administrative tensions for years. Amateur clubs in particular are unable to grow further and provide their members with appropriate training facilities.
According to a spokesperson for the municipality, research should show how the pressure on certain sports parks can be reduced. “We look at the distribution of fields, but also where we can build new sports complexes with the growth of the population in Groningen. Think of locations such as De Held III and Meerstad.”
Ter Borch
Sports-loving Groningen even looks askance at Ter Borch in the municipality of Tynaarlo. An entertainment center would be located here. After the developers withdrew, the question is how this area, which is close to the city of Groningen, will be filled in.
Van Niejenhuis praised the green and water-rich character of De Held III on Wednesday. The new residential park will be located between the existing school near Gravenburg and the new sports park near Reitdiepsplein and the allotments. Facilities will be located in the heart of De Held III.
The plan is to build 150 to 200 homes per year. “We hope that houses will be ready in 2027 and 2028,” says Van Niejenhuis. There will be 1,850 homes, of which 30 percent will be social rental, 20 percent affordable rental and purchase and fifty percent will be in the private sector. The municipality has entered into an agreement for this with Groninger Projecten CV, in which the Twente builders are represented.
Tags: Shortage sports facilities Groningen Held III district finally ground sports park
