It welcomed the curious and students of the Franche-Comté Faculty of Science and Technology for more than 60 years. The botanical garden of Besançon (Doubs), located on Place Leclerc and closed to the public since 2017, will be replaced by housing. We’ll explain it to you.
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The original Bison residents will have known it lush, with these greenhouses from another time and its exotic plants. Others will have spent hours, even years, studying on the benches of the Science and Technology faculty, located in its center. Forget all that.
Closed since 2018, the site of the botanical garden of Besançon (Doubs) will soon see the light of day again, but in another form: housing will be built in the old university buildings and a public green space will be created by the town hall.
Vacant since 2018, this place extends over 19,000 m2was handed over to the State by the University of Franche-Comté in 2020. “The buildings and greenhouses were dilapidated, they had been built in 1956” says Arnaud Mouly, teacher-researcher and director of the botanical garden since 2014.
The campus no longer met the new standards, particularly regarding asbestos. The management therefore chose to move everything to La Bouloie, including the botanical garden, present at Place Leclerc since 1957.
Arnaud Mouly,teacher-researcher at the University of Franche-Comté and director of the botanical garden
In the old building, classrooms “in their original state”.
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© Ludovic Godara – University of Franche-Comté
The end of an era, and 60 years of free access to a space appreciated by all residents, young and old. The closure of the greenhouses, in 2003, and followed by the departure of the students, in 2015. That leaves the outdoor garden, closed to the public two years later. Since then, nature has reclaimed its rights over the place, gradually becoming a wasteland. A situation that should no longer continue.
Indeed, the city of Besançon, associated with state services and the architects of Bâtiments de France, worked from the end of 2023 on a call for expressions of interest. “We wanted to build a project to rehabilitate the place, with the ambition of turning it into housing” explains Aurélien Laroppe, municipal councilor of the city of Besançon, responsible for town planning.
“The issue of urban housing is still important“continues the chosen one.”We had the opportunity to build homes on a wasteland, and not on agricultural or natural land, it was ideal. In addition, the place is extremely interesting in terms of its placement“.
The dilapidated greenhouses of the old garden were closed in 2003.
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© Arnaud 25 – Wikipedia
Indeed, the old botanical garden is located a few minutes from Viotte Station, near the city center and the Parc des Glacis. “The objective is to create housing that will also be energy clean” says Jean-Luc Grandjacques, regional manager of state real estate policy. “We will endeavor to preserve the historic and natural part of the site“.
The State therefore published a call for projects on May 29 for private developers. The land to be transferred, extending over more than 19,000 m2is divided into two plots. The first, for a future real estate complex of 9,916 m², includes several buildings (former university building on three floors with basement, former gardener’s house). “The future developer will be able to develop it as he wishes, on one condition” continues Aurélien Laroppe.
The City had a significant say in the call for projects. It will be necessary to preserve the main building and its facade, made of Héricourt stone from the 1950s, which faces the city and the Citadel.
Aurélien Laroppe,municipal councilor of the city of Besançon, responsible for town planning
The objective: not to distort the place too much,”even if a complete rehabilitation will be necessary, including asbestos removal” explains the town hall. Same desire in the second condition set by the town hall. “The future developer must accept that the second plot of land be transferred to the municipality of Besançon, as part of the creation of a public green space” insists Jean-Luc Grandjacques.
The municipality intends to maintain a public green space in front of the housing, as was the case before.
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© Arnaud 25 – Wikipedia
In detail, the municipality wants to build a sort of small park, “in the extension of the Parc des Glacis“, preserving “old trees that have been present for decades“. “We have the ambition to create a green space open to all, where we will also build a cycle path“continues the municipal councilor responsible for town planning.”The idea is to keep this exceptional “green” panorama of the city of Besançon“.
Did the call for tenders, despite its two conditions, manage to convince? State services, without revealing their number and identity, indicated to France 3 Franche-Comté that several files had been submitted by developers. “We also made several visits to the place” reveals Jean-Luc Grandjacques, regional head of state real estate policy.
But we haven’t received an official offer yet. But don’t worry, in this type of negotiation, they arrive close to the closing date of the call for tenders
Jean-Luc Grandjacques,regional manager of state real estate policy
This is approaching since it is set for November 18, 2024. As you will have understood, the future housing which will take place in the former premises of the science faculty will therefore not see the light of day for several years. “The promoters will go before a jury, which will select a candidate” explains Jean-Luc Grandjacques. “It will then be necessary to agree on a sales agreement, sign it, then the work will begin. We won’t have anything before 2028-2029“.
And the botanical garden in all this? Don’t panic, if it no longer exists at Place Leclerc, it will come back to life at La Bouloie, where the entire Science and Technology campus has been transferred, but under another name: the “discovery garden”.
Modern iron and glass greenhouses covering 1,100 m² are being built, in addition to one hectare of outdoor park, to accommodate the plant collections. Be patient, however, the space will be open to the public in spring 2025.
