On Friday, activists who want to keep the Arctic on the western edge of Asdorp Green took wind of Albert Hein’s decision. Via LinkedIn, Albert Haegen told them that the option the supermarket chain had on a portion of Boulder has been cancelled.
Albert Heijn confirmed on Sunday that the distribution center would not be there. A spokesperson wrote that the Boulder “reservation agreement” had been canceled a few weeks ago.
According to the spokesperson, Albert Heijn has always confirmed that the supermarket chain is still exploring the possibility of having a distribution center in Lutkemeerpolder. The supermarket chain is now exploring “other, more strategically interesting” locations for us.
closed doors
Albert Heijn does not comment on whether actions against the supermarket played a role in this decision. Opponents of building in Lutkemeerpolder previously called on their supporters to speak out against the supermarket chain.
In September, the doors of eighteen Albert Heijn branches were opened in Amsterdam adhesive closure. This action was then demanded in an anonymous statement by an unknown group “AH Must Go”, but with reference to plans to “construct a large concrete distribution center in the precious Lutkemeerpolder”.
Opponents of building over Lutkemeerpolder, united in the Conservation Lutkemeer working group, triumphed in a press release on Sunday afternoon. On Wednesday they want to celebrate the passing of Albert Heine at City Hall. There they demand an immediate halt to construction on Lutkemeerpolder.
Vegetables planting
Preparations have already been made in Boulder in recent months to prepare the ground for construction. Now that Albert Heijn has decided to reject it, activists see their chance to conserve all of the green land and use it to grow vegetables for Amsterdam’s residents.
By the way, Albert Heijn was building only on a part of Boulder, with an area of u200bu200b5.5 hectares. However, the agreement that the project developer SADC will have about the distribution center has been discussed several times to clear Boulder for construction preparations. The SADC Group was already in court in 2019 with a buyer of the land who should have remained anonymous because it is a listed company. Then the developer of the project presented these plans to the court as a reason to expedite the end of the occupation of the area by activists.
Care farm has been allowed to survive
Since SADC is partly owned by the Amsterdam municipality, activists are also talking to the city council about it. They expected more from GroenLinks, Alderman Mareke van Dornenke’s (Spatial Development) party, but that party was convinced by a majority of the city council in 2018 that the plans were already too advanced, leading the municipality to pay tens of millions in damages. It would cost if Lutkemeerpolder’s building plans were scrapped. Later I managed to become a care farm to keep buttercup On a small part of Lutkemeerpolder.
The ‘Animal Party’ has asked for a discussion about the consequences for the Lutkemeerpolder now that Albert Heijn has decided not to settle here. Chancellor Jennifer Bloomberg sees new opportunities to preserve “Amsterdam’s last organic arable land”.