Kroonenberg Groep has reached an agreement with Swapfiets for the long-term lease of the property at Molukkenstraat 200 in Amsterdam. Swapfiets will rent the entire property, consisting of approximately 1,400 m2 of office space.

The building was built in 1955 as head office for the Koninklijke Utermöhlen bandage manufacturer and was later used as a commercial building, but it no longer met current requirements. A major renovation was therefore in order, while keeping as much of the original architecture as possible. The architect Heyligers did the drawings with a focus on light and sustainability, which includes a gas-less climate installation and replaces the window frames with similar triple glazed, insulated aluminium profiles. To further emphasise the light in the building, a glass elevator shaft with a slender steel staircase was installed that connects the three floors and highlights the spaciousness. The windows in the lower office floor have also been significantly enlarged.

The entrance has been restored to its former glory, with an added touch of contemporary comfort. Electric sliding glass doors and a spacious and transparent entrance hall welcome the new tenant.

Swapfiets is the world’s first ‘bicycle as a service’ company. Founded in 2014 in the Netherlands, it quickly grew into one of Europe’s leading providers of micromobility. As of September 2020, Swapfiets has more than 220,000 members in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, France and Italy. The concept of Swapfiets is quite simple; for a fixed monthly fee, Swapfiets members always have a working bike. Swapfiets is available in more than 25 towns and cities in the Netherlands.

The completion of the office building at Molukkenstraat 200 almost finishes the transformation of the entire area. In 2018, the part that had been used as a furniture shop for years was delivered to AH XL after a major renovation. A new car park on the roof was also realized. In 2020, the car park for Praxis was also refurbished and a passage was created to connect the Praxis and Albert Heijn XL premises. The last retail spaces will also be rebuilt this year, which will provide a further 1,100 m2 of retail space. Also located at this site along with AH XL and Praxis are Big Bazar and SmartFit.

Kroonenberg Groep was represented in this transaction by Van Gool Elburg in collaboration with Van Dijk & Ten Cate.

Claus Company will open the Element hotel in Amsterdam on the 3^rd of January 2021. By doing so, Claus Company strengthens the continuity of the family business. The hotel brand is part of the Marriott International chain. Element Amsterdam, that initially opened its doors in 2016, is located at Gelderlandplein in Amsterdam South and boasts 160 spacious rooms, focusing mainly on extended stays.

CEO Rick W. Claus: ‘Opening a hotel in Amsterdam has been on our wish list for quite some time. The Element hotel has the perfect location, it is the perfect brand, and yes: this opportunity came at the right time.’ Claus Company is owner and franchisee of the 4-star Courtyard by Marriott Amsterdam Airport hotel for 20 years and is therefore familiar with the franchise formula of the world’s largest hotel chain. Together with real estate owner Kroonenberg Groep, Claus Company has full confidence in this step.

The right time

Despite the corona crisis, Claus Company trusts it is the right time to expand. Claus: ‘Times are tough, but the market will recover. Our family business exists for 50 years and has a long-term vision. Investing in a hotel expansion is in line with that vision.’ When both Marriott and Kroonenberg Groep approached them for this project, it immediately felt like a match. It also offers the opportunity for employees to work in both hotels. ‘This way we succeed in retaining the talents in our company.’, says Claus. In addition to this expansion, Claus Company intends to open their successful restaurant formula Barraca in the Element hotel during the second half of 2021. According to Claus, it is the ideal location for an upscale Brazilian restaurant experience which is in line with the hotel concept, the luxury shopping center and the business target group of the Zuidas. 

Kroonenberg Groep about this collaboration

‘We are delighted with an entrepreneur like Claus Company at Gelderlandplein.’, says Lesley Bamberger, CEO Kroonenberg Groep and owner of the shopping center. ‘Gelderlandplein is renowned for its personal approach, service and customer focus. Many of the shops located in the shopping center are family businesses that have been here for decades. Claus Company fits in perfectly.’

The acclaimed The Art of the Brick exhibition by the American artist Nathan Sawaya is temporarily coming to the Netherlands. Starting on Thursday 10 December, more than 100 unique works of art built with over one million LEGO® bricks can be seen in the Kalverpassage on the Kalverstraat in Amsterdam. The exhibition will be on display in the former Hudson’s Bay store. The rented property has a floor area of 4240 m².

The Art of the Brick was hailed by CNN as one of the ten must-see exhibitions in the world and has already attracted millions of visitors worldwide. After the major success in 2014, The Art of the Brick is finally back in the Netherlands. The exhibition has doubled in surface area and now shows more than 100 works of art. Added to the exhibition is the stunning In Pieces gallery, a multimedia collaboration between Sawaya and award-winning Australian photographer Dean Wes.

Organizer The Experience Providers has joined forces with NEMO Science Museum and Kroonenberg Groep to bring The Art Of The Brick to the Netherlands.

CEO Daniëlle van de Beemd from The Experience Providers: ‘These times have caused complex challenges for everyone. Many activities have been stopped or cancelled due to the Covid 19 measures. We saw an opportunity to temporarily bring The Art of the Brick to the Netherlands in a fantastic collaboration with Kroonenberg Groep and NEMO Science Museum. In these complicated times, we’re proud to be able to bring a bit of wonder and inspiration in a safe environment to the people of the Netherlands.’

Lesley Bamberger, Managing Director of Kroonenberg Groep: ‘We hope that this fantastic public exhibition will give a positive boost to the public’s experience on the Kalverstraat and attract more people to the city centre. This is our way of stimulating the business climate for all shops and companies in the immediate vicinity during these times of everyone keeping a 1.5 metre distance.’

Kroonenberg Groep has reached an agreement with DHL Express for the long-term lease of a property at Contactweg 22 in Amsterdam. From this branch, the express carrier handles the collection and delivery of time-critical shipments destined for the centre of Amsterdam. Cargo bikes are often used for this purpose, which promotes green urban logistics. The rented property involves approximately 240 m² of commercial space and 165 m² of office space. The lease commenced on 01 October 2020.

DHL is an international subsidiary of Deutsche Post DHL. DHL Express is primarily known as an international courier company for the shipment of parcels and letters.

Kroonenberg Groep was assisted by GA Makelaars for this lease.

Kroonenberg Groep has reached an agreement with Big Bazar for a long-term lease for the property at Burgemeester van Hoofflaan 21 in the centre of Veldhoven. The leased property concerns approximately 830m² of retail space on the ground floor and 490m² of storage space in the basement. The lease commenced on 1 November 2020. After a brief installation and set-up period, Big Bazar will open its doors to the public on 3 December.

Big Bazar is a relatively young and new retail formula. They opened their first store in 2007 in Apeldoorn and there are now more than 160 branches in the Netherlands and Belgium. Big Bazar stands for affordable shopping in a fun and friendly environment. It offers a wide range of products, which includes cleaning items, household items, personal care items, toys, hobby and craft items, pet supplies, decoration, sweets and chocolate.

Kroonenberg Groep was advised by RSP Makelaars on this lease.

Vacant first floor space has been a long-term issue in shopping centres. Especially when the range of shops is fairly saturated. This was also the case at Hoogvliet Shopping Centre. Owner Kroonenberg Groep saw this as an opportunity to concentrate shops on the ground floor and develop homes on the first floor.

It started with a pilot in 2018 in which eleven homes were built on a number of empty shopping centre floors. It turned out to be a success, with all the properties renting out very quickly. For this reason, seven more homes were recently built in various locations in the shopping centre and were also quickly rented out. Nineteen new apartments were completed above the Albert Heijn this week.

Michiel Schröder, project developer at Kroonenberg Groep: ‘We’re happy to see how successful the creation of homes has been. Together with the estate agent we looked closely at the demand in Hoogvliet. There appeared to be a housing shortage, with a particularly high demand among two target groups: younger couples from the neighbourhood and elderly people who like to live close to a shopping centre.’

The houses are delivered move-in ready and are equipped with a spacious living room, luxury open kitchen, underfloor heating, 2 or 3 bedrooms, complete bathroom and a surprisingly large outdoor space of 25 m² on average. The living areas range from approximately 90m² to 115m².

A uniform appearance was selected for the exterior of the homes, with the same facades and window frames. All have a view of a lovely courtyard, which is not visible from the outside. Michiel Schröder: ‘We have put a lot of energy into creating a comfortable and luxurious feeling, which enables us to offer tenants more liveability than you would expect at this location. This is also reflected in the use of high quality materials and the high level of finishing. People who have seen them have been pleasantly surprised by what they see.’

The shopping centre’s exterior was worked on while the houses were being built. Both Albert Heijn and Dirk van de Broek have impressive new entrances, shops have been equipped with new frontage and everything has been repainted. This has given the entire area a major facelift, which is good for attracting people to the shopping centre. The construction of 10 apartments will soon get underway above the renovated Dirk, the location of the former Bristol.

In the near future, Kroonenberg Groep will continue to explore the possibilities of further optimising the shopping centre and wants to eventually add about 25 additional homes.

Kroonenberg Groep has reached an agreement with SNS Bank for the long-term lease of the property at Markt 52 in Hardenberg. The property being leased offers approx. 107 m² of retail space. The lease contract commenced on 1 September 2020 and SNS Bank has already opened its doors to the public.

A long-term lease agreement was also signed with Blush Mode for the property at Markt 2. The rented space is a shop of 125 m² and is where Bonita was previously located. Blush Mode offers beautiful, diverse women’s clothing for the fashion-conscious woman with brands such as Dreamstar, Freequent, Ichi, Nikkie and Scotch & Soda. The lease commenced on the 1st of October and the shop will open soon.

Finally, a long-term lease agreement was signed with Ter Stal Mode for the property at Markt 3-4. The rented property is a shop of 470 m². Two separate shops that used to house Didi and Paris2Day have been merged for this new tenant. TerStal sells fashion for women, men, children and babies. The lease will commence on 1 November, and, after a brief refurbishment period, the shop will open to the public before the end of the year.

Kroonenberg Groep was assisted in these transactions by Uniek Makelaars.

Kroonenberg Group has concluded a new long-term lease agreement for approximately 2100 m² with existing tenant Dirk van den Broek in Shopping Centre Hoogvliet. The existing Dirk will be developed into a completely renewed supermarket in the coming period. The striking corner, which was previously the entrance for the former Bristol, has been merged with the existing Dirk store. Installing new, higher store fronts with more glass gives the supermarket more light and a greater feeling of space. This greatly increases the visibility of the store in the centre. The new supermarket will open at the end of October.

Kroonenberg Group has also concluded two new leases for the shopping centre. Kaan Noten en Delicatessen, previously based in the Albert Heijn, opened a completely new shop on the Binnenban. Martinez Chocolatier also set up shop on the Binnenban. Both long-term rental contracts started on 1 January.

A long-term extension of the existing lease contract was agreed with Specsavers.

Kroonenberg Group is busy with the redevelopment of the shopping centre in Hoogvliet.

In the past period, a total of 18 apartments were realised in former retail buildings at three locations in the centre. Due to the success of these apartments, it was decided to continue this redevelopment. At the moment, 19 apartments are being developed above the renewed Albert Heijn. These will be offered to let in the autumn.

The construction of 10 apartments will soon get underway above the Dirk that’s being renovated, the location of the former Bristol.

Kroonenberg Group will also explore the possibilities of further optimising the shopping centre and adding more homes.

Kroonenberg Group is advised by BRIQ real estate for the commercial rental of Shopping Centre Hoogvliet and by Synchro Wonen and RIVA Makelaars for the rental of the properties.

Kroonenberg Groep has reached agreement with Klarna Group regarding a long-term lease at Rokin 69 in Amsterdam. The property being leased provides approx. 730 m² divided among the basement, ground floor and first floor. Another agreement was reached with Hines for a long-term lease of approx. 275 m2 on the second floor. This property was redeveloped last year into a state-of-the-art office building.

Klarna wants to simplify payment procedures by having consumers receive their purchases first and then billing them afterward. At the same time, they will assume the potential credit and fraud risks from the online retailer. Klarna is currently one of the fastest growing companies in Europe. The Klarna Group has more than 3000 employees and operates in 17 markets. They serve more than 85 million consumers and collaborate with 200,000 webshops.

Hines is the world’s largest real estate investment and development firm and has its global headquarters in Houston, Texas. The company has been operating in the Netherlands since 2007 where, for the time being, it focuses on investments. The company is named after Gerald D. Hines who founded the firm in 1947.

For leasing Rokin 69, Kroonenberg Group was advised by Van Dijk en Ten Cate in collegial consultation with Van Gool Elburg.

Kroonenberg Groep has adapted its plans for transforming the Lindershuis in Dordrecht. The former department store is to be transformed into high-end apartments.

Plans for the redevelopment of the Lindershuis were presented at the end of 2019: the courtyard development would include a hotel along with an attractive combination of shops, apartments, bars and restaurants. In view of the current market and the changes that have arisen due to Covid-19, Kroonenberg Groep has revised its plans and decided to turn the hotel part into apartments too.

Thanks to the smart design that was presented in December, the plan can remain intact for the most part without the need for major adjustments. One major adjustment is that the internal courtyard will be more enclosed, enabling pleasant outside space to be created for the apartments in the middle of Dordrecht’s historic city centre.

A plan for apartments instead of a hotel will be drawn up over the coming months. Naturally, the design will need to focus on the aspects inherent to residential development and in addition, just like before, the community will need to be involved in the process. In line with all its residential projects, Kroonenberg Groep will focus on delivering distinctive quality for users.

Alderman Sleeking from the municipality of Dordrecht gave his initial reaction: “Given the current situation, we understand the decision that Kroonenberg Groep has made. Although we would still wholeheartedly approve of a hotel on this site, we also think that the alternative of apartments is a good fit for the site. It would be an enormous improvement for both Raamstraat and Lange Breestraat for the building to no longer be vacant and for the façades to be renovated. The most important thing is that this developer wants to invest in Dordrecht’s city centre.”

The adapted plan still involves renovating the (mostly historical) buildings in order to reduce the vacancy rate in the city centre. Furthermore, its close cooperation with the municipality and advisors has enabled Kroonenberg Groep to adapt its development strategy in a relatively short period of time while retaining the quality of the project. A new schedule will also be produced during the formulation of the plans. As soon as the plans have been developed into more detail, they will also be shared with the local residents and other stakeholders.