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Friday, June 30, 2006

Life Way Better Than Heaven

Posted by AMY KATE HORN on June 30 at 13:01 PM

Next time we’re in Amsterdam, we’ll be able to nibble a few hash bonbons and then wander through Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. For real: Dutch construction company BAM has partnered with the City of Amsterdam to create a $20-million-euro, 12,500-square-foot chocolate factory theme park, De Chokoladefabriek, in an abandoned loop of underground tram tunnel. Scheduled to open in 2009 at Ruijterkade 105-106, the Chokoladefabriek will cost 20 euros and include a Roald Dahl-inspired glass elevator and chocolate fountain. amschocfactory.jpg

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1

How anyone can be mad at the Dutch is beyond me. And now this... it brings a tear to my eye...

Posted by Phenics | June 30, 2006 1:16 PM

2

When do you think the Stranger might do an article on Fremont's Fair Trade Organic Chocolate Factory? I mean, it's nice you're giving people an excuse to fly to Amsterdam and all that, but we already have a chocolate factory in a trolley barn that used to a brewery ...

Posted by Will in Seattle | June 30, 2006 1:17 PM

3

Way cool - but look for serious cost overruns do to the skyrocking cost of Oompa Loompas...

Posted by Mr. X | June 30, 2006 2:21 PM

4

Oops - due...

Posted by Mr. X | June 30, 2006 2:22 PM

5

Will: We might but know nothing about it. Is there a good story there? What do you know? (You can write to me at amykate@thestranger.com.)

Posted by Amy Kate | June 30, 2006 2:41 PM

6

yes, Will, but alas there is no good hash to accompany the chocolate in Fremont...

Posted by gnossos | June 30, 2006 3:05 PM

7

it looks like it's up by centraal station?

Posted by josh | June 30, 2006 3:12 PM

8

Someone should map it... I've been meaning to, but deadlines are drowning me. The building in front of it is familiar-looking...
www.bma.amsterdam.nl/adam/nl/msp/zeevaart.html

Posted by Amy Kate | June 30, 2006 4:00 PM

9

Umm...looks like a developer's fantasy project to me. I ride past this spot every morning (yes, it IS up by the Centraal Station), and there's neither space for a building like this (Really. It's a simulation -- probably a sketch from the developer's portfolio. The smaller building to the right houses the English-language newspaper The Amsterdam Weekly, with of course a bikeshop/coffeeshop below. After that, it's just the elevated train tracks.), nor very likely a viable market for a project such as this. While Rotterdam has the Van Nelle coffee and chocolate works, and Zandam to the north has the Verkade cocoa factory, Amsterdam has no history of chocolate production (Of course, that didn't stop someone from opening a branch of Madame Tussaud, and a Hard Rock Cafe here, either. I imagine they feel lucky enough to keep the Heineken 'museum' --fake brewery-- open.).

Posted by cpoticha | July 3, 2006 4:01 PM

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