Bustling atmosphere at festive Leuvenplein opening

The festive opening of the Leuvenplein was this Thursday 21 November. Nearly 100 residents of Casa Confetti, the Accommodation Committee (Woonbestuur) and Utrecht University colleagues gathered to mark the wonderful occasion.

At the festive get-together, Ruut van Rossen, Head of Campus Management, briefly reviewed the process. 'I vividly remember the day that high winds brought down a huge building crane being used for the Casa Confetti construction project, and it toppled onto the Marinus Ruppet building. Luckily, only three people were injured. Unfortunately, once the building was completed, it did take years before a final decision was made about the rest of the site. However, we are finally done. The square has been nicely renovated, with wonderful plants and a bicycle parking facility. It's great that we can celebrate this fine result together with you!'

Better communication
'Unfortunately, all the work going on did cause nuisance for you,' Van Rossen continued. 'There were occasions where you were shook out of bed much too early by pile-driving work. That should not have happened, of course. The communication early on was a bit spotty as well. Luckily, we now get together regularly to share information, particularly on the work being carried out. On behalf of Utrecht University, I would like to thank you for your patience and cooperation.'

A bright future
Florieke Moonen, a member of the Accommodation Committee, agreed and stated that the period just concluded had definitely involved quite a bit of nuisance. 'I can't think of a single piece of machinery I didn't hear, with all the grinding, compacting and drilling. That was exhausting. Thankfully, it's all done now and we have a wonderful square on our doorstep. As residents, we should now benefit from the renovation work, with the new underground waste containers and hopefully a green oasis come next summer. As the Accommodation Committee, we regularly sit down together with USP partners to stay up to date on everything going on.'

Background
The Leuvenplein has recently been renovated. The greenery has now been added as well, with privet hedges, large shrubs and new, mostly native trees planted on the square. A wealth of flowering plants were used, which should improve biodiversity in the area. This is the icing on the cake following the renovation of the bicycle parking facility and the sewers renewal.