The City of Portes-lès-Valence and the community sector inaugurated the new Alice-Milliat gymnasium.
Since June 3, volleyball players and table tennis players have already taken over the new sports complex called Alice-Milliat. A building with an area of 2,260 m2 built on the outskirts to the north of the city in the Auréats area. It was inaugurated by local elected officials on Saturday, June 22. Before the traditional ribbon cutting, the heads of the associations were given a guided tour of the premises. “It’s night and day! We now have excellent working conditions and beautiful lighting, top-notch changing rooms and incredible ceiling height. Not to mention real accessibility for storing equipment.”, greets Yann Rondel, president of USCP volleyball. It must be said that the sports complex, a major project during the last mandate of the mayor, Geneviève Girard, is a well-born project, after six years of monitoring, both in its administrative and operational phase. Its objective is to replace the downtown gymnasium, which has become obsolete and energy-intensive.
A new sporting identity for the city
Designed by the Archipel de Grenoble firm, the sports complex is made up of a multi-sports hall and an activity room surrounded by small green spaces, orienting it in a sustainable development dimension. With a capacity of 300 places, the gymnasium falls into category C, which allows it to host regional championships. Thanks to its wooden frame, its pellet heating and wood fiber insulation, the building aims to be less energy-intensive. In addition, the 136-space car park will be equipped with a shade structure to recover solar energy.
A new premises dedicated to association offices
Note that the former administrative building of Company 26 has been renovated and is now called the Annex. It now has several modular spaces dedicated to meetings and fitted out for association offices. Soon, a residential real estate complex called Les jardin de Maupassant will be built. The former industrial wasteland on which the new sports complex was built required work worth 6.2 million euros, 2.7 million of which was covered by the municipality through a loan. and a self-financing part.
Who was Alice Milliat?
During her inaugural speech, Mayor Geneviève Girard presented the life of Alice Milliat: “born in Nantes in 1884, she was a pioneer of women’s sport both in France and abroad. She campaigned in the interwar period for women’s sport, emancipating women. She is also who founded the first international women’s sports federation in 1921. She contributed in particular to the participation of women in gymnastics and Olympic athletics events. But her action was limited by political will, amid general indifference in 1957. , died at the age of 52. There remains today a foundation which perpetuates the work of this woman, precursor of a universal and feminine sport. reported the mayor of Portes-lès-Valence.
