Plans for new municipal office and more housing in Wassenaar

The Wassenaar municipality wants to vacate the current office at Johan de Wittstraat 45 so that new housing can be built on that site. Moving both the municipal office and the municipal yard will create space to contribute to the construction of housing that is much needed in Wassenaar. The location of the current municipal office is ideal for housing construction, thanks to its proximity to a variety of amenities. It is also necessary to invest in housing for the municipality, as the existing office is outdated and suffers from many defects.

Council house De Paauw and additional workplaces

Council House De Paauw will be used more intensively after the renovation as an administrative center for an independent Wassenaar. There will be additional workstations, reducing the amount of space needed in the municipal office. However, partly because the municipal council previously decided not to expand the building, De Paauw remains too small to accommodate all civil servants and the Customer Contact Center. Therefore, a second location remains necessary, where there is also space for the municipal yard and storage.

Possible new location: DNB site on State Street Road

The college decided to initially further investigate the site of De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) on Rijksstraatweg as a potential location for the new municipal office. Now that the bank has left there, the site may be suitable for a new, sustainable and modern building that is well suited to the needs of the municipality. In addition, the central location of this site contributes to its accessibility and accessibility for residents, employees and visitors. This appears to be the most suitable option, but requires further elaboration. The City Council will decide on this as soon as the proposal is further developed.

Investment

The new building will be sustainably designed, with an eye on energy efficiency and longevity. The construction of a completely new office, including underground parking facilities and space for field services, is expected to cost about €12 million. This will be paid for with possible land proceeds from the land that will become available for housing development at the old site on Johan de Wittstraat.

Logical step

Alderman Laurens van Doeveren calls the relocation of the municipal office and the municipal workshop to Rijksstraatweg a logical choice: "It offers us the opportunity to create a future-proof and efficient working environment for our employees at an easily accessible location. At the same time, the current, centrally located site on Johan de Wittstraat creates space for new housing. With this we are taking an important step in the development of our organization as well as creating new housing opportunities for the village."