Copenhagen: We got a new house! |
On the 11th of June [2008], it was decided in their city council to let us take over two buildings in the North western area of the city.
1st of July we started moving in!
We will be using the next moth to get rid of all the communal dust, build a new bar, a stage, activity rooms and spice up the place to make everyone feel at home! We are all really exited about the place and promise that as soon as we are ready to open the doors, we will invite all of you to an opening party and celebrate the winning of a battle! We couldn’t have done it without all the international support!
The two buildings used to be a part of a communal social centre that we will now be sharing ground with.
It’s situated between Dortheavej and Rentemestervej in the North-western part of Copenhagen, approx. 2,8 km from Jagtvej 69.
We will get the two buildings in two rounds. We got the first building on July 1st, "The annex" which is the smaller of the two with 600 m2. The other building will be ready to take over on January 1st 2009. The total of the two buildings is 2000 m2 which is the same area we used to have in Ungdomshuset.
We will establish a small concert venue in the annex and a big kitchen. The big building already has a large concert room with a balcony, ready to be used!
The foundation
We have established a solution where the foundation "Jagtvej 69" (which has been established together with the monday meeting. They are good people!) rent the premises from the city council. The rent will be given back in form of a monthly subsidy from the city council so that it all adds up to zero and we in practice don’t have to pay rent. Apparently that’s the way they have to do it to get around the communal bureaucracy!
The foundation is going to work as a formal juridical communicator betweek the house and the city council. The relations between the foundation and the city council has been manifested in a series of written agreements.
The relations between the foundation and the house has also been written down.
Bottom-line: We are still a basic democratic house with only one authority, the house meeting!
The take-over
We have already started moving into the first building. The activities that used to be in the building got new facilities and no one is left behind!
We have been promised that all activities in the other bulílding will also get a suitable replacement. Many of them will in fact be placed other places around the part of the building that will still be a cultural centre.
It’s very important to us to make clear that we never meant to push other people out of their house. We have made sure that all activities will be moved to good facilities and on top of that, another building will be built to house some of them and at the same time make room for a brand new library!
What now?
We will spend the next while making the house ready to have gigs, parties, soupkitchens and activities in. Whenh we’re ready, we will invite everyone to a big welcome party! Feel free to come by the house and take a look, be active or help with the work that needs to be done!
http://www.ungdomshuset.dk/spip.php?article680