Amsterdam’s Red Light in the city’s center has long been a major tourism attraction and a major pain for other local businesses and the city’s desire to upgrade the image of its historic core.
But a new city plan to at least move part of the prostitution business to a planned multi-story high-tech ‘Eros Center’ seems to be drawing approval only from its sponsors, with attacks coming from businesses and local governing councils in the area proposed for the building as well as from the sex workers themselves, who do not want to locate from their traditional ‘window brothels’ in the De Wallen district.
As well, the EU is involved, because the area in the city’s southern Amsterdam Zuid area is also where the European Medicines Agency is planning a new headquarters to replace its former location in London. The center would be on city land, but operated by private interests.
The center, which the city describes as having “100 rooms for sex workers, ‘culture, education and erotica,'” would be matched by the closure of 100 windows in the current Red Light district. The city also points out that the new location would be outside the city’s ring road, and would have parking access.
An alternate idea, put forward by the city’s ‘Night Mayor’ would instead expand the existing district. If the council votes for the proposal, there will be further consultations and development studies, with a goal of opening within seven years.
