Amsterdam July 1st, 2003Fort van Sjakoo is close to a provisional purchase agreement with the Woningbedrijf Amsterdam (WBA), (Housing Corporation Amsterdam).Hello, After two years of fighting and dealing with the WBA we have as of today a temporary purchase agreement. The WBA pushed us into action in June 2001 with a rent increase of more than 900%. We were shocked to find out that the local government and the housing corporations had put a new policy into place. In the wake of reorganization and business optimizing thousands of social housing units and hundreds of business spaces, which weren't earning enough profit, such as ours, were to be cut off like excess fat. After a storm of protest and a report from the commercial rent advise commission it appeared that the lowest feasible rent for het Fort van Sjakoo was still an unaffordable rent increase of around 500%. About a half-year ago we decided, as our last option, to begin fund raising so that we could buy the bookshop space on the Jodenbreestraat in Amsterdam. We promised to inform the WBA by the end of June (now!!) if we could cough up the needed 200,00 euros by the end of December. The WBA promised to lobby the municipality for an unusual (cheaper) long-term ground lease and proposed the success of this as a condition of our agreement. It quickly became apparent that there were a lot of people who wanted to help support het Fort van Sjakoo in her purchase plans. After an estimate was made and a folder was distributed money quickly started to come in. Hundreds of people and organizations donated and lent us money. Throughout the country people took up the cause and organized benefit parties, concerts, dinners and collection pots. Within a few months we had already received more than 100,000 euros! So much has come in that we now dare to say that we will succeed!!! At the moment we are still negotiating with a few of the big moneylenders. If this goes well and we raise still another 10,000 euros, than Fort van Sjakoo can be assured of an affordable space in the future. In the coming time the WBA is preparing the purchase. The most important problem now is the long-term ground lease with the municipality. It is of great interest that the local government decides positively in our favour. This coming Saturday (July 5th) we will be raising money in two places in Amsterdam. People from het Fort van Sjakoo shall be giving presentations about the purchase plan. 7 PM (19:00)-a benefit dinner in the MKZ people's kitchen at the Binnenpret on the 1st Schinkelstraat 14-16 in Amsterdam. A three-course vegetarian dinner for 10 euros. Call for a reservation: 020-6790712 9 PM (21:00)-a benefit party in Vrankrijk, Spuistraat 216 in Amsterdam, a 3 euro cover (extra voluntary donations welcomed) with the bands: ZEA (electro pop) and Solbakken (a Friezen trio with a new wave and post rock influence) See y'all soon, For more information surf to: http://www.fortvansjakoo.nl Donations to: Stichting Stort voor het Fort, Amsterdam
Giro 948 40 62 |
