It is one of the last major projects in the Lyon metropolitan area. With 2,000 future residents and 3,500 new employees, the Saulaie district, south of Lyon, should definitely change its face. The first groundbreaking is expected in 2026.
With its budget of 81 million euros and its 40 hectares of surface area, it is one of the last pharaonic projects in the Lyon metropolitan area. The concerted development zone (Zac) of Saulaie, to the east of the new commune of Oullins-Pierre-Bénite, is finally on track. A stone's throw from the city's hypercenter, this mega project could well, in the long term, become one of these “new poles” popular with Grand-Lyonnais. The first sod is planned for 2026. A late deadline for some. In fact, the work has been awaited for a (very) long time by residents of the area. We recall that the SNCF left the premises in 1989 and that the ancestor of the Métropole de Lyon had purchased the land in 2008. The arrival of metro B at Oullins station in 2013 had revived expectations and ultimately created impatience with the duration of implementation. As a result, after more than a decade of discussions and back and forth between the different executives, we now know the content of this important operation.
In total, the developers are planning the equivalent of eighteen football fields of building space to be constructed. In detail, 870 housing units should be built. 60% will be social housing and 40% free housing. Enough to accommodate the 2,000 new residents expected in the long term. Moreover, families will be able to count on the creation of a new school group, a nursery and a gymnasium. At the same time, 47,000 m2 are planned for economic activity, both for offices and crafts. 3,500 employees are expected in the companies that will set up there. Clearly, by 2033, the former working-class district of Saulaie, and its 40 hectares representing nearly 10% of the total surface area of Oullins, will therefore be definitively transformed.
Read also: Lyon Gerland-La Saulaie footbridge: the Metropolis delays the project by one year
The suburbs taken as models
Will La Saulaie then be the new fashionable place near Lyon? According to Vincent Malfere, the general director of Serl, the operator designated as developer, the objective is twofold: to create both a living space to allow residents to live peacefully and, at the same time, to make it a place of destination for the rest of the metropolis. “We don’t just want to create neighborhood life. We are in the process of creating a new metropolitan centrality. There will be the aquatic center financed by the City, the Ninkasi, Les Grandes Locos which will be perfectly integrated. The whole benefits from an excellent connection thanks to numerous connections with the city center including the metro, the TER, the bus, and even a footbridge to Gerland.” An idea that Béatrice Vessiller (EELV), vice-president of town planning and leader of the operation, also develops: “It is a strategic project first of all in its location, at the gates of the center, in line with our desire to create a multipolar metropolis and no longer only oriented towards the interior..”
Concretely, the architects of the Zac de la Saulaie worked with the concept of “suburb” to integrate all ways of living, living or working in this emerging sector. In other words, offices, housing, public facilities, business premises… all will be mixed at the neighborhood level. “Indeed, it will be very mixed, as we could see historically in the suburbs. We still reaffirmed the productive vocation which was historic on this site [lire l’encadré sur l’histoire de la Saulaie]. This results in a large place given to craft activity or small industry, not just offices.”, says the elected environmentalist. Clearly, priority is given to small businesses to “social and environmental impact, some of which come from circular economy sectors”. Notable fact: the Lyon group Ninkasi, known for its beers and its concerts, has announced that it will set up its new headquarters there. Its real estate program will be located within the former SNCF workshops transformed into a cultural space and musical third place.
Read also: Ninkasi La Saulaie: “The idea is to create a third place which will be four times bigger than Gerland”
