May 11, 2000
Mr. Hans Gobes, Senior Vice President Communications
Royal Ahold
P.O.Box 3050 1500 HB Zaandam, The Netherlands
Dear Mr. Gobes,
Thank you for your letter of May 9, commenting on Leiden's Aalmarkt
Project. You wrote that you "have been on the road and found at
[your] return some information from Albert Heijn concerning Leiden.
Albert Heijn had been asked if in principle it would be interested
to open a city store in Leiden. Albert Heijn has answered it will
take this into consideration. Otherwise the development is a local
government project for which, as [I] mentioned, it cooperates with
the company MAB. Ahold nor Albert Heijn has anything to do with it.
Thank you for sharing your concerns with us."
Evidently you are misinformed. The city of Leiden presented its
intentions for the Aalmarkt by publishing 65,000 copies of a four-
page newspaper-sized pamphlet titled "Wie Waagt Wint, Informatie
over het Aalmarktproject, een uitgave van de gemeente Leiden,
November 1998, nr. 1" ("Whoever Dares Wins, Information about the
Aalmarkt Project, A Publication of the City of Leiden). On page
one, the town government mentions Ahold as one of three large
businesses that have informed the city of their willingness to
invest in the inner city. On page two, the city reports that
"Vendex, Ahold, P&C/Anson's and project-developer MAB have informed
the city of their desire to invest heavily in the core shopping
area" (by which the Aalmarkt area is meant). On page three, in a
description of the shopping routes that are planned, the city
states, "The three pedestrian routes have to flow from the
Haarlemmerstraat towards three 'attractors,' in other words large
shops (Vroom & Dreesman, a group of three shops with two layers,
and the supermarket of Albert Heijn)."
The last remark indicates clearly where Albert Heijn is expected to
have a shop. No doubt Ahold's participation explains the
circumstance that Ahold appears in the report "Stadsvernieuwings
Structuurplan Aalmarkt E.O., Voorontwerp" ("Urban Renewal
Structural Plan, Aalmarkt and Surrounding Area, Preliminary
Design"), published by the city in February, 2000, on page 65, in
the list of interested parties to whom copies of that publication
were sent.
Ahold's participation is not in question. The issue at hand is
whether Ahold will live up to its self-proclaimed sensitivity to
its responsibilities to the communities in which it operates. When
one thinks about the consequences of demolition of the historic
heritage, the community is very large. It includes your customers
in America, especially when Pilgrim sites are under threat.
Everyone concerned with an ethical attitude towards investment and
everyone who realizes that Ahold could play a leading role in
preservation would welcome a statement of principle explicitly
indicating that Ahold and its subsidiaries and affiliates will not
participate in this project if historic sites such as those
connected with the Pilgrims in Leiden are to be demolished. It is
Ahold's money that would enable the project as a whole to take
place. Therefore, even if the specific location of Ahold or Albert
Heijn properties does not include the particular historic sites
that will be demolished, Ahold's money can be used to influence the
process of design in favor of a choice for preservation. In the
opinion of historic heritage professionals, this development
project could be redesigned without destruction. Ahold should state
that its participation is conditional on there being no
destruction.
Of course, as you told me by telephone, this is only one small item
to a large company with 8,000 stores. But it is not somehow merely
a local issue, because what Ahold and its subsidiaries do with
their money in Leiden naturally will affect the attitudes of
Americans to Ahold stores everywhere. In Leiden Ahold has a chance
to prove itself a friend to thousand of Americans to whom the
Pilgrims' years in Leiden form an important part of the national
heritage. And considering that America's national holiday,
Thanksgiving Day, focusses on the commemoration of the Pilgrims
through elaborate family meals, a chain of grocery stores like
yours will probably do well to indicate its awareness of the value
of that heritage.
As I suggested to you by telephone, a statement of principle by
which Ahold clarifies its intentions concerning participation in
this project, for or against the preservation of Pilgrim and other
historic sites, would be most welcome.
I feel sure that now that you have better information about Ahold's
participation in this matter, you will be eager to indicate the
reality of your sensitivity to the communities in which you
function.
I look forward to hearing from you again.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Jeremy Dupertuis Bangs, Director
Leiden American Pilgrim Museum
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Will it come to this?