To finance site preparation for the two largest plots in the Lastage, so-called "producers" were used. These were, among others, mayor's daughter Jannetje Pelgrom, her fourth husband (John or Hans Vanderbeke), and Jan de Wael, a mayor and brewer from Haarlem and brother of Pelgrom's first husband. They were essentially developers, possibly in cooperation with the city council. Two other major speculators or land owners were Syvert P. Sem, governor of the Compagnie van Verre and French Hendricksz. Oetgens, who was in charge of urban development and public works. In 1601 the city government proposed a new appraisal for the Lastage. The proposal took into account the location of the land, which had increased in value, and the losses sustained from upgrading the area. The proposal was rejected by the landowners because it still required interest payments. It took until 1604 before a final, favourable decision was reached. After seven years of struggles between landowners, city council, and the courts, the amount of amelioration was reduced by 30%. The proceeds of over 10,000 guilders were given to the poor and that same year, at the request of the citizens in the area, work started on building a bridge to the Schreierstoren. Completion The expansion of Lastage had taken longer than has been assumed by historians for a long time, on the authority of Tobias van Domselaer (1611-1685), a poet and chronicler. Van Domselaer believed that the First Expansion had already been completed in 1593 and described Lastage as an overcrowded slum. In reality, the expansion on Lastage had taken at least fifteen years to complete, from 1589 to 1604. Only on plots owned by the city or the mayors could building commence immediately. The ropers, timber merchants, mast makers and shipwrights, supported by former mayor C.P. Hooft, who would regularly and vigorously defend their case in city council sessions, had all resisted giving up their conveniently located land between the city and the port, if it meant having to relocate at a high cost to Uilenburg or Rapenburg. Nieuwmarkt Due to the expansion of the city, the city gate known as Sint Antoniespoort had lost its function. The gate was re-purposed to be used as a stock exchange, a weigh house, and as a guildhall. By partially filling in the canal in front of the gate, a new market square was created, which was to become Nieuwmarkt. The neighbourhood didn't