The project had caused a lot of ink to flow… Edify the tower Emblem a new building of 8 floors and 27 meters high, attached to the Thiers tower, itself already heavily criticized, and opposite the Excelsior, the emblematic art deco brasserie of Nancy. The City and the Metropolis announce in a press release published this Thursday, November 14 “having found an amicable agreement which must lead to the waiver for the operator of his project.”
Legal battle
Backtracking. Signed with a private developer, Nouvel Habitat, at the end of Laurent Hénart's mandate, canceled by Mathieu Klein upon his arrival at Nancy town hall in 2020, the Emblème tower project was the subject of a long legal battle where the defenders of the architectural heritage of the city or the Anticor association which had taken legal action for alleged irregularities in the financial arrangement were involved.
Amicable agreement
Tired of the procedures**, the two parties finally accepted mediation which still lasted 18 months**, from March 2023 to October 2024. A necessary time for the “search for a balanced solution” for everyone. Dialogue and negotiation have finally paid off. The agreement provides “the public acquisition of the “Embleme” plot for 2.225 million euros”. In exchange, Nouvel Habitat acquired land located in the Austrasie ZAC for 1.875 million euros to create a mixed housing complex with activities. Furthermore, the group obtains the possibility of a housing complex in the future Cité Administrative project.
« I am delighted with the prospect of a resolution, after months of negotiation, making it possible to preserve the identity of the district in line with the transformations undertaken in the station sector. » indicates Mathieu Klein in the press release. Alexis Merlin, President of the Nouvel Habitat group, for his part says “ to salute the chosen path of mediation that he had called for to find an amicable outcome. This agreement is an important step towards its final implementation by December 31, 2025 at the latest. »
This mediation agreement must still be adopted during the municipal and metropolitan councils in December. It will then be approved by the administrative justice system which will put an end to this disputed case.
