Flevokust Port: a conscious choice

"Flevokust Haven is already more beautiful than I had dared to dream," says Carolien Gase, senior acquisition officer at Lelystad Municipality. "Wonderful companies have deliberately chosen the business park in the polder, partly because of its unique combination with the port." Big names like BESTSELLER, JYSK and bol are settling in Lelystad, bringing more activity as well as employment in the coming years. "But not only that, these companies really want to commit to the city. Future-oriented together, that is what Flevokust Haven stands for," says the municipality's acquirer.

How it started

Why was Flevokust Haven actually developed in this way? We go back a long way. Because the Markerwaard, the intended last polder of the Zuiderzee project, was finally not reclaimed, opportunities and possibilities arose for Lelystad due to its favourable waterfront location. In the mid-1990s, the idea of a cargo port emerged. There were already two deep waterways and it was a logical moment to use them, both province and municipality thought. This way, more transport by water became possible and Flevokust Haven would help reduce congestion in the Randstad. Transporting more cargo by ship, rather than by road, would reduce this pressure.

Flevokust Haven would become an inland terminal, transferring goods from one means of transport - in this case a ship - to another. An interesting and flexible solution for importing and exporting goods, with an eye for the environment.

Cooperation between province and municipality

The location made sense, as all the ingredients were present: near the railway, the motorway around the corner and an airport nearby. With, in addition, ENGIE's power plant, the Maxima power station, just a stone's throw away. There was interest in cooperation from the MRA and Evofenedex explored the possibilities of cargo flows. Then, in 2013, cooperation between the province and the municipality emerged. They joined forces and developed the multimodal port with transhipment quay and business park. In which they did not proceed overnight. "We were just coming out of the economic crisis, so we took a phased approach with the municipality. In small steps. So we first developed 7 of the first 43 hectares and slowly progressed to the approximately 160 hectares we have issued at the moment," Carolien says.

The province and municipality followed their own path and thus the port and quay have been in operation for some time, since 2018, and now the energy is mainly in the business park.

The uniqueness of Flevokust Haven

There is no other business park in the region with the same conditions: very large plots, a building height of up to 40 metres and a high environmental category. And in addition, an important condition for most plots is that your company is port-related or port-related. Precisely these characteristics were the deciding factor for the companies setting up. The possibility of storage and transhipment of goods, import and export via the major (sea) ports and the combination of different transport flows. And it is not only the companies at Flevokust Haven that benefit from this; companies from other parts of the city and the region also make use of the opportunities to transport via water. Or to further transport via the port by truck.

Plans and ambitions

The coming years will be all about developing, building and establishing. Not only BESTSELLER, JYSK and bol are coming to Lelystad, but investor-owned properties will eventually house fine companies. Which in turn will bring a lot of employment opportunities. There will be all kinds of jobs, and for this the companies are actively seeking cooperation with each other, with interested parties in the region and with Lelystad city council. Carolien: "For people currently working outside the city, great jobs are (already) being created in their own municipality. A lot of jobs will be added in the coming years."

Sustainability high on the agenda

In the near future, Flevokust Haven aims to be a BREEAM-certified business park. This involves the materials used, the reuse of raw materials and sustainable alternatives. But also, for example, about creating the right preconditions to be future-proof. Even if it is not a condition, if companies with the same ambition establish themselves there, the municipality naturally welcomes it. The design of BESTSELLER's building, for instance, is the best translation of its sustainable ambitions. "So much thought has gone into the design, the materials used and the integration into the landscape. It really is a beautiful design. So an asset for the city," Carolien said.

Together we make Flevokust Port

As a municipality, you create the preconditions, provide connections and facilitate where possible: ultimately, businesses have to do it themselves. Carolien: "Together we make Flevokust Haven." With that in mind, possibilities for park management are being explored. For now, Flevokust Haven is still developing!