UG and Municipality look into the possible sale and purchase of the Biotoop and Hortus Botanicus

The University of Groningen (UG) and the Municipality of Groningen will spend the next few months looking into the terms and conditions for selling the Biotoop and Hortus Botanicus sites in Haren to the Municipality. The parties will enter into a cooperation agreement with the intention of allowing the sale and purchase to go ahead. If they reach an agreement, the UG hopes to present the Municipal Council with a sales contract by the end of 2021.

The UG has told the Municipality that it is in principle willing to sell the Biotoop and Hortus Botanicus in Haren. The sites are no longer being used for teaching or research purposes. The sale involves the site of the Biotoop (formerly the Biology Centre), which is eight hectares, and Hortus Botanicus Haren, which is 20 hectares. ‘Retaining and preserving academic heritage is enormously important to the University of Groningen’, said Jouke de Vries, President of the Board of the University. ‘This certainly includes the Laarmantuin wild plants garden and the Zoological Laboratory.’

In talks with interested parties

The Board considers Hortus Botanicus and the Biotoop to be of great value and is impressed by everything that has been achieved there. ‘It is a wonderful area, and both Hortus and the Biotoop fulfil a very important social and public function’, explains alderman Roeland van der Schaaf. ‘As we fully intend to purchase the sites, we will spend the next few months in serious talks with the main interested parties. They include CareX, Stichting Behoud Groene Hortus, Stichting Het Groninger Landschap and Vereniging Vrienden van de Hortus ‘Henricus Munting’. We want to know how they envisage their future roles and what they need to achieve this.’

Site to remain intact for the time being

As far as the Municipal Executive is concerned, the sites of the Biotoop and Hortus Botanicus will remain intact for the time being. Van der Schaaf: ‘However, long-term decisions also need to be made. We are not thinking about the future at the moment, but when the time comes, we will involve the current users, staff, volunteers, local residents, tenants and other people from Haren in any decisions that we make.’