Thursday June 13 in the morning, a most important meeting took place at the town hall of Villeneuve-sur-Lot. It concerned the long-standing project on the presentation of the rehabilitation project for the Saint-Cyr site. A major project which was presented the same evening to all elected officials during the community council.
Alongside community elected officials, Cathy Lévêque and Pascal Mourgues, who led the first steps with the help of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine public land establishment (EPFNA), the mayor of Villeneuve-sur-Lot and president of the Agglomeration of Grand Villeneuvois, Guillaume Lepers, revealed to all partners his vision for the future of this site: “It is not a question of filling, for the sake of filling, a wasteland that has been left as it has been for more than ten years. It is a site in the heart of the City’s Priority District, a few meters from the city center which we want to bring back to life. This is why we want to work in a place dedicated to youth, training and culture. »
This life brought back to the Saint-Cyr site should also benefit the economy of the heart of the bastide. It’s about bringing back activities and the captive audience that goes with them, which have disappeared since the Villeneuve-sur-Lot hospital moved to the outskirts of the city.
Multiple arrangements
The City’s objective: to revive this place by transforming it into a dynamic center dedicated to youth, training and culture. The ambitious plans include moving the current Villeneuve-sur-Lot campus, already cramped, to this renovated site, and adding an amphitheater, a modern media library, as well as student accommodation, a collective restaurant now non-existent on the current campus, a research center… The site which already includes the nursing school, would then grow as a space where student life is conducive. A boon for the municipality which has constantly repeated that it wants its young citizens, even the youngest, to reclaim the heart of the city. These initiatives were welcomed by the State and local authorities, who see this project as a model for regional development. As demonstrated by regional councilor Guillaume Moliérac: “We are looking very closely at this project because it responds to our training policy for young people and our desire to be close to rural areas in this area.”
By 2029
However, before starting work, the priority is to secure the site, seriously damaged by a decade of abandonment and a fire in 2021. “We have started the process, but there is still a lot to do,” declares Guillaume Lepers. This return to life in Saint-Cyr is also seen as a potential catalyst for the economy of the historic center of Villeneuve, which is already beginning to revitalize itself thanks to summer cultural events in the adjacent park.
During the last Community Council, a detailed plan until 2029 was presented, including the acquisition of the site by the end of 2025 by the public land establishment. Negotiations with the Regional Health Agency (ARS), current owner, are underway to finalize this complex acquisition. The work will begin with the urgent securing of the listed building, followed by a complete rehabilitation before a gradual resale in pieces, aiming to ensure the long-term self-financing of the project. In summary, this ambitious project represents a true rebirth for a place steeped in history, promising a dynamic future for Villeneuve-sur-Lot and all of Greater Villeneuvois.
