A historic building in the city of Giono about to be rehabilitated. During the last municipal council of the town of Manosque, elected officials validated the sale of the Labor Exchange, located on Place Marcel-Pagnol. The acquisition of the real estate complex amounts to 290,000 euros, the buyers being “Messrs Bacrot and Prizer”, reveals Ismail El-Ouadghiri, deputy delegate for town planning.
Last June, as part of its land strategy, the City of Manosque put up for sale the real estate complex made up of two properties belonging to it, with a view to carrying out a rehabilitation operation. “The property being free from any occupation”indicates the deliberation. Only one offer was submitted as part of this call for applications which closed on September 27. This renovation provides for the construction of 12 housing units (four T1s, five T2s, three T3s) as well as two businesses on the ground floor of the building. Established after the Second World War on Place Marcel-Pagnol, the Manosquin Labor Exchange brought together employee unions and was intended to welcome workers, with or without jobs.
“We made a choice”
A deliberation which caused the opposition to react. Notably Odile Guigon Cauvin, who finds “It’s a shame we don’t keep this building in the hands of the municipality.” An intervention to which the mayor of Manosque did not fail to react: “We made a choice. We prefer to put money into schools or the Carzou center, which is a heritage building. Afterwards, the Labor Exchange, if the CGT wanted to buy it, it could. But for us, the usefulness of the Labor Exchange was epsilonesque compared to the other buildings that we are renovating. There are a lot of empty and degraded buildings. We have made sure that a certain number of buildings like the one. Hotel Voland or the Danton block can be renovated Unfortunately, I don't have any magic money and therefore the Marcel-Pagnol block will be dedicated to housing.
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Another subject, of the same ilk, was put on the table during the last municipal council: the rehabilitation of the Isaac-Bourdin hotel, located rue des Marchands, a few meters from the Labor Exchange. Member of the opposition, Armel Le Hen is worried about the future of this building which is “in disrepair. It's been going on for a very long time, the building is deteriorating. I hope it won't end badly. I don't know if any work is planned.“Camille Galtier affirms “that a representative of the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAGON) should come very soon. I dare to hope that the DRAC will take its responsibilities so that this does not end badly. […] Keeping the building as it is with the beam is impossible. We are not going to launch 1.5 million euros of work to build four apartments. It’s madness.”
