NDSM wharf "absolutely not" suitable for erotic center, says Amsterdam-Noord council

The district council overseeing Amsterdam-Noord said the NDSM wharf is "absolutely not a suitable place" for an erotic center. The board wrote this in a draft copy of its advice to Mayor Femke Halsema. By placing the center on the eastern side of NDSM, the current problems related to accessibility and safety will become untenable. Additionally, it will hinder plans in the field of sports, culture and greenery, and the character of the NDSM wharf will be affected, the council said.

Halsema previously asked the district for advice on her proposal to place an erotic center on the Docklandsplot there. In addition to NDSM, two locations near the RAI in Amsterdam-Zuid have also been designated as potential locations for the center, which should provide a workplace for about a hundred sex workers. This is intended to replace a substantial number of windows in the Red Light District. Halsema insists that a location must be chosen by the end of 2023.

The NDSM wharf is "not a multimodal public transport hub and the accessibility of this part of Noord is an important point of attention," said the district council. "In order to keep this part of Noord accessible parallel to the growth in the number of homes and facilities, a range of measures are needed, such as extra ferries and/or river crossings, extra public transport, car and bicycle routes and alternatives to the car in the form of shared transportation. For the time being, these investments have not been arranged, with the result that quality of life and safety are under pressure, especially at peak times."

According to the council, adding an erotic center will "attract about 1.3 million additional visitors every year and logically exacerbate this bottleneck."

In addition, thousands of homes are being built in the area, including on the western side of the NDSM wharf, and in the Buiksloterham neighborhood east of the wharf. According to the council, the "greenery and sports standards" are not being met there. They said that a feasibility study has put forward a proposal for realizing extra green space and sports facilities at the eastern side of NDSM wharf. "The realization of an erotic center on the Docklandsplot - which plays a key role in greening the wharf - makes these plans impracticable."

Such a center also makes the neighborhood less attractive to live in, the board said. "An erotic center of this size" will "drastically change the character of the wharf," according to the draft document. The district council said it has been approached by many concerned residents and entrepreneurs in Amsterdam-Noord, who also feel as if they have hardly been consulted about the plan, and their concerns are not being heard by city leaders.