Ben Preiss
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 The city of Amsterdam is paying $35 million to Charles “Fats” Geerts otherwise known as the “Emperor of Sex” for 18 of his brothels. The city wants to turn his brothels, which are legal, into more mainstream housing and shops in an effort to reduce the concentration of prostitution in the area.  That deal will eliminate 51 storefront windows where women conduct business — nearly one-third of the spaces used for prostitution, which is legal in the Netherlands and is a magnet for Amsterdam's tourists.
Mayor Job Cohen said the heavy concentration of the sex trade in the canal city's crowded center has degraded the quality of life, encouraged crime and exploited women.
"Our aim is to combat criminality. To make the district more manageable. To improve the quality of life by reducing the excessive concentration of prostitution, bad-quality cafés and restaurants, and marijuana coffee shops," he said, according to Radio Netherlands. "We want to create more opportunities for bona fide businesses."
(blogs.usatoday)References: amsterdam-red-light-district.info, blogs.usatoday Comment: on City of Amsterdam Buying Up Brothels; Plan to Convert to Retail |
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