It’s called ending the year, if not in style, at least in serenity: for her final 2024 municipal council, Nathalie Koenders was able to explain the essential terms of the “transactional agreement protocol” which puts an end to the multiple disputes between the city of Dijon and the former concessionaire of the Palais des Congrès and Exhibition Center, the Congrexpo association.
After the city’s wish to regain control of the operation of the building, it is an understatement to say that relations between the two parties had deteriorated, a series of disputes brought before the administrative court coming to quantify the accusations of breaches, “unpredictability” in the context of Covid or non-transmission of documents weakening “the procedure for renewing the public service delegation – for the operation of the Palais des Congrès and Parc des Expositions, which expires on December 31, 2022, then extended until the establishment of the SPL Dijon Bourgogne Events (DBE) , now operator of the structure, Editor’s note – due to the resulting break with the principle of equality. » Quibbles amounting to more than €3 million claimed by Dijon Congrexpo from the city of Dijon, obviously refuted by the latter. It is ultimately through mediation that the accounts are definitively settled, a solution which definitively closes the door to all subsequent contentious procedures, carried out under the authority of the judicial mediator Roland Lonjon.
Mediation at €84,312
In detail, at the end of two mediation meetings organized on September 11 and October 14, 2024 and reciprocal concessions, “the city of Dijon and Congrexpo have reached a global agreement, including to put an end to the contentious procedures concerning the first case relating to compensation for unforeseen circumstances, currently being investigated before the Administrative Court of Appeal of Lyon, and the four enforceable oppositions pending before the Dijon administrative court. » Through this agreement, the city of Dijon acknowledges owing Dijon Congrexpo the sum of €1,585,588 million including tax, the association also committing to “to withdraw from all proceedings and actions that it has initiated. »
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For its part, Dijon Congrexpo acknowledges owing Dijon the sum of €1,41,149 million, with the city committing in fact to waive “to raise any claim, to initiate any past, present and future action, to assert any right founded in relation to the disputes defined in the Protocol” ; a sum of €84,312, settling the accounts.
€1.5 million retained by Congrexpo
But that’s not all. Through this transaction, the city of Dijon “undertakes to withdraw from the appeal pending before the Administrative Court of Appeal of Lyon of the aforementioned judgment of the Administrative Court of Dijon dated January 25, 2024, by which Dijon Congrexpo obtained compensation for unforeseen circumstances following the period of pandemic due to Covid-19 ». At the time, Dijon was required to pay the sum of €1.5 million to Dijon Congrexpo, which, as Dijon services specify, remains in the hands of Dijon Congrexpo: “the compensation of €1.5 million is not due to Congrexpo on the day of approval of the protocol, since it has already been paid by the City of Dijon after the first instance judgment rendered by the Administrative Court, the appeal is not suspensive in this matter, specify the services. The protocol provides for the City of Dijon to withdraw its appeal, this sum therefore remains with Congrexpo. » A regulation on which the opponent Emmanuel Bichot did not fail to react: “This outcome is costly for the city, but it was necessary to close all the disputes. Unfortunately, the city of Dijon did not always assume its responsibilities as owner throughout the period of this delegation”. “That’s how it is and we need to move forward!” »declared Nathalie Koenders to close the debates. It was heard since the memorandum of understanding was largely voted on by the municipal council. Moving forward is also what seems to be driving the SPL DBE, now at the helm of the imposing ship that is the Palais des Congrès and Exhibition Center, which for its first year of operation (beginning on April 17, 2023 ) displays a turnover of €5,373,361 compared to €4,418,859 planned in the DSP contract (+21.6%) and forecasts a turnover 20224 “higher than DSP forecasts”. The municipal council took note of these figures from the activity report.
