While the construction site progresses day by day, an update was made on the Foch-Sully program in the municipal council. The opportunity to discuss the future silo parking and the place of the car in the city.
As every year since the launch of the operation, a point was made in council concerning the ongoing Foch-Sully development carried out by the Semop of the same name. The project, which was slow to launch (it was postponed due to Covid and then reconfigured), is now progressing quickly.
The opportunity to discuss in particular the commercial aspect of the project, the responsibility of Sodes, the owner and investor who ensures the rental of all the building bases for future traders.
Interested brands…
“Sodes says he’s not worried. They have prospects who express interest. They have contacts with brands who have taken a step back and who say they are looking at the file again. But the start will only take place after the choice of the supermarket,” underlined Yves Nicolin, on the sidelines of the council, not giving any names of brands for the moment. “We are a year and a half from the opening, it’s still a little early to formalize positions.” As a reminder, following the abandonment of the project carried out by Casino concerning the supermarket, the real commercial locomotive of the project, two brands would be in the running: Intermarché via local investors, and Auchan which would be re-interested in the project. “We will have to be fixed in September,” says Yves Nicolin.
On the housing side, Marie-Hélène Riamon asked herself last Thursday: “Won’t this help destabilize private housing? And there are still 32 properties open for sale…” she said. “We need to build attractive housing,” the mayor replied. It is normal procedure that not everything is put on the market yet. Noaho ( which carries the L’Embellie project Editor’s note ) indicated that this program had the best launch in the entire Aura region,” he assured.
Whether or not parking is useful…
Last Thursday, elected officials also had to vote on the early payment of an equipment subsidy of 4.3 million euros to the additional budget for “developed car parks” (in addition to the planned 2.5 million), as part of of the ongoing construction of the future Foch-Sully silo parking lot. A contribution which will not change the City’s overall participation in the operation (maintained at 25.9 million euros) but which will allow it to receive a planned subsidy of 4.5 million from the Region. Sketch of the project. The parking lot appears at the top on the map.
This parking silo continues to fuel discussions between the majority and the opposition, regularly expressing their disagreement on parking and, beyond that, the place of cars in the city center. “Our city has more than 3,500 paid or free spaces and some parking lots are empty. Is it worth spending so much on a parking lot? », noted Marie-Hélène Riamon. “Wouldn’t we have more urgent or important needs in which to invest this money? »
A vision shared by the 88% collective, believing that “the fewer cars we put in the heart of the city, the better it is for business”.
“If you think that we can do without cars, you are wrong,” replied Yves Nicolin, for whom “this investment will make it possible to meet parking needs and maintain a dynamic commercial offer. You talk about cost, I talk about profitability: parking brings in 1.6 million euros in revenue each year and this parking lot will generate 500,000 to 800,000 euros. Without this parking lot, the Foch-Sully project was still born.” “The cash cow therefore becomes the goose that lays the golden eggs,” said Marie Hélène Riamon on the subject of parking. “We are not in a magic zoo,” Yves Nicolin retorted. “We have parking rules. And it is possible to file appeals.” Which would be fewer and fewer in number, says the mayor.
