The shared building which houses the Ernest-Hemingway intercommunal media library and the municipal hall for festivals and meetings, the Agora, was inaugurated on November 23.
1,200 people were present to explore this new equipment, after a year and a half of work. Mayor of Grau-du-Roi and president of Terre de Camargue, Robert Crauste (our interview) describes this new setting as “a place of culture, exchange and social connection, useful both to Graulens, to the inhabitants of Terre de Camargue and to all those who visit us”. This new equipment is part of the “urban restructuring of the city”close to the city center, near the André-Quet and Eugénie-Deleuze school groups, the Palais des Sports et de la Culture. “In the very near future, with the opening of the old SNCF line following the relocation of the station, the city's cultural and sporting facilities will be directly linked to the heart of the city and the quays, through a pedestrian and cycle route”agrees the councilor of the seaside resort. Zoom on the functionalities of the different spaces.
The Ernest-Hemingway media library
After the renovation and extension of the Liliane-Granier media library in Saint-Laurent-d'Aigouze in 2018 and the construction of the André-Chamson network head media library in Aigues-Mortes in 2020, the Ernest-Hemingway media library opens its doors at Grau du Roi. Located upstairs, it covers an area of 600 m². The collections offer novels, press, news, documentaries, children's albums, CDs, DVDs… The little ones will find cushions, a cabin, small tables… Freely accessible computer stations allow them to work or play. The cost of the work amounts to €2,800,000 excluding tax, with the financial participation of the Departmental Council, the Region, the State and the Community of Municipalities.
Festival hall
On the ground floor of the building is the municipal hall for festivals and meetings, the Agora, with a surface area of 1,300 m². It is a space adaptable to different associative, cultural and economic practices. “Depending on needs, the installation of the room allows the organization of large institutional and associative receptions, socio-professional events (congresses, trade fairs, seminars, etc.), or even the hosting of shows”, explains Robert Crauste. This equipment can bring together up to 900 people standing or 500 seated, for a total cost of €4,600,000 excluding tax, with the financial participation of the Departmental Council of Gard, the Region, the State and the City of Grau du King to the tune of €3.2M.
“Waste of public money” for the opposition
Equipment that makes right-wing opposition elected official Charly Crespe (GRAU group), candidate for the 2026 municipal elections, cringe, denouncing a project that is too expensive : “We estimate the cost of this construction (media library, village hall, land area, etc.) at nearly 9 million euros! This is shameful to the extent that the CCTC already has similar equipment and the logic of the communities is pooling.” And to specify : “To this, we must add more than 250,000 euros annually in operating costs for the Graulen site! “. Following a survey carried out by GRAU collecting 200 contributions, Charly Crespe bid : » 80% of respondents say they do not use any of the three community media libraries. On this panel, more than 60% do not plan to visit the new Grau du Roi media library! This is proof that this equipment is oversized compared to its foreseeable use.”
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