Rotterdam in development

R O T T E R D A M I N O N T W I K K E L I N G | 2 0 1 8 Less than six months ago, we were astonished at the exorbitant transfer fee of €222 million for which FC Barcelona sold footballer Neymar to PSG. Whereas at first we saw this as scandalous and impossible, since then we have accepted it and it has become the new status quo in the football world. I recently caught myself thinking the same way about the height of buildings. Since definitive approval was given for the Zalmhaventoren, at 215 metres, I see other towers in Rotterdam in a new way. The 150-metre high towers on the Wilhelminapier used to be seen as the maximum, but now the Zalmhaventoren has set a new frame of reference for tall buildings. The city of Rotterdam has taken enormous strides in the last five years. Before the crisis, institutional investors were very wary of Rotterdam. The centre was characterised by a large number of offices, not much vibrancy, public spaces that were not very attractive and housing value development that lagged behind that of the other big cities. The choice Rotterdam made during the crisis, to continue investing – for example in building the new railway station, the Markthal, the area around the Meent and Witte de Withstraat – means that the city on the Maas is currently undergoing a significant socioeconomic metamorphosis. The result: a huge demand for housing. Even people from Amsterdam are making their way to Rotterdam – who could have foreseen that? Rotterdam will have to work extra hard at this aspect to allow the city to continue along these positive lines. High-rise buildings are unavoidable in efforts to fulfil the great demand for housing in the city; soon we will have to get used to 300 being the ‘new standard’. If you ask me, Rotterdam is shaking off its last vestige of hesitation and trumpeting its achievements from the high-rise rooftops. ABDEL SALEMI SENS REAL ESTATE R O T T E R D A M I N O T W I K K E L I N G | 2 0 1 8 61