A priceless heritage of the world

Bill Harwood, Director, Berlage LLC, Berlage.US, BV

To Collegeleden,

I have been talking with the staff of VS Hortus for some time of moving Hortus to a new retirement community I am creating in Virginia south of Washington, DC. Berlage will have 5 12 story towers which contain 500 units as well as a number, perhaps 50, of villa sites, a world-class Wellness Center and a Community Center with art studios, a performance hall seating several hundred people, a restaurant and other facilities for the community. It is to begin construction during 2011 and be operating by 2012.

I am able to bring Hortus to this location and recreate, on a site many times larger, the facility in its entirety with many additional facilities at an Interstate exit, (Exit 104 on I-95) where an Amtrak Railway station is to be constructed. At this location it will enjoy hundreds of times the visitors which it was able to generate in Amsterdam. I suppose the great number of things to do and see there have led to this situation.

I cannot understand how a priceless horticultural heritage of the world could be destroyed in this manner? Are you not aware of the unique value of it? Everyone I have been speaking here is aware of this. It is superior to our United States Botanical Garden at the Smithsonian, for instance. I am a patron of most of the leading horticultural gardens in US and this is inconceivable to me. Please look at my profile on Linkedin to see what I am about: linkedin.com/pub/bill-harwood/. It will take a bit of time but the staff of Hortus is very willing to work with this situation and to come here and reestablish Hortus in “the new world.” Why are you determined to destroy one of the most priceless of Nederlands heritage?

Please let me talk with you about what can be done; We have resources here to arrange this transition and the people who have devoted their lives to Hortus there are willing to work with us. What have you to lose in doing this?

Sincerely yours,

Bill Harwood
Director, Berlage LLC, Berlage.US, BV