The Dutch city has received a request from a local shipbuilder to remove the central section of the historic Koningshaven Bridge so that a superyacht can sail out to sea, it said in a statement to CNN Business on Friday.
Rotterdam officials said the shipbuilder still needs to apply for a permit. The city said it would consider the preservation of the bridge structure as well as the impact on the environment and the local economy, including jobs in the shipbuilding industry, before approving the permit.
The shipbuilder should pay for dismantling the bridge, the city added. An extensive renovation of the Koningshaven Bridge, known to locals as “De Hef”, was completed in 2017 and city authorities promised it would never be dismantled again, according to Dutch public broadcaster Rijnmond.
Other bridges on the route between the shipyard and the sea would not need to be modified, city officials said.
The superyacht was commissioned by Bezos, according to Dutch media and journalist Brad Stone, who last year reported in his book “Amazon Unbound” that the billionaire’s future plans include a 127-meter schooner being built by Oceanco.
“I think this is one of the few other examples…that the more money you have, the more power you get,” Matthias Van Der Wilt, 20, told Reuters. If the city approves the permit after “Bezos offered a nice amount of money,” it would show officials “have no character,” he added.
— AnneClaire Stapleton and Wayne Chang contributed reporting.
