Six years after the collapse of rue d’Aubagne in which eight people died, the town hall unveiled a project for a neighborhood center to fill the space now left vacant.
“A resource place” in place of a tragedy which left a lasting mark on the people of Marseillais. Almost six years after the collapse of buildings which left eight dead on rue d’Aubagne, in the 1st arrondissement, the town hall unveiled a project for a neighborhood center on Wednesday May 15. Construction work is expected to begin in 2025.
The idea is to organize activities offered and managed by the city: solidarity cooking workshops, meetings and even shows.
The town hall has released images of what the building could look like, while specifying that the final appearance may be different. The architects explained that the project was scalable and could go as far as the construction of a third floor, compared to two on the visuals. The facade should also be erected in raw Beaulieu stone, in a Mediterranean style.
The only points of certainty: the development of a patio with a floor constructed of wood and equipped with removable partitions. Of the past buildings, there also remains a stone buttress which will serve as a memorial space for those killed in the collapse on November 5, 2018.
Some victims were able to speak on Wednesday during the project presentation meeting. They place a lot of hope in this space so that a new page can be written in the years to come.
Upcoming trial
A trial must be held in November to establish the potential responsibility of four people prosecuted for homicide and involuntary injuries, including two individuals: Julien Ruas, deputy mayor in charge of prevention and risk management, under the majority led by Jean-Claude Gaudin (LR) and Richard Carta, the architect appointed as expert by the administrative court of Marseille, who had inspected the building at 65 rue d’Aubagne, where the eight victims lived, on October 18, 2018, three weeks barely before the tragedy.
Two legal entities are also being prosecuted: Marseille Habitat, a mixed economy company from the city of Marseille which owns 63 rue d’Aubagne, an empty but totally dilapidated building which collapsed at the same time as 65, and the Liautard firm , the co-ownership trustee responsible for the management of 65.
