Crowdfunding campaign launched to restore Amsterdam's Haarlemmerpoort

Foundation Stadsherstel launched a crowdfunding campaign to "artisanally" restore the Haarlemmerpoort in Amsterdam. Restoring the neglected gate will cost more than 2.5 million euros. Stadsherstel, which owns the building, is still 171 thousand euros short, Het Parool reports.

Under the title 'Blow new life into the Haarlemmerpoort', Stadsherstel calls on the gate's fans to help fill the gap in the budget. And donors won't only get a warm fuzzy feeling of doing something good in return, but also a gift ranging from a photo of the building to a miniature of the building to adopting a column.

The Haarlemmerpoort's official name is the Willemspoort, but it is never called that in the city. The building was previously owned by housing association Ymere, who worked from 2011 to get the residents of the building out and to change its zoning permit. Ymere succeeded in doing so last year, but in November announced that it will be selling the building because the maintenance is too expensive.