Val-d’Oise. In Argenteuil, the Porte Saint-Germain project is three years late

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The town hall of Argenteuil (Val-d'Oise) assures us: “housing, shops, economic activities, services and living environment… The structuring projects will sustainably transform the Porte Saint-Germain sector”.

The redevelopment of the Porte-Saint-Germain sector, which goes from Val-Notre-Dame to the Berges de Seine, Argenteuil residents began to hear about it in 2004 during the first mandate of Georges Mothron.

Put on hold by a new majority, it was relaunched in 2016, with the signing of a National Interest Contract associating the company Paris Sud Aménagement, the Public Territorial Establishment Boucle Nord de Seine (Grand Paris metropolis), the City d'Argenteuil, the State, the Region, the Departments of Val-d'Oise and Hauts-de-Seine (the sector borders Colombes and Gennevilliers). A long-term project that takes a long time for some.

2,000 homes to be built

“After the successful deliveries of the Bricqueville sites and the Simone-Veil school group, the transformation of the neighborhood is accelerating,” assures Camille Gicquel, deputy mayor responsible for town planning, development and urban projects.

The program aims to build 2,000 housing units (25% social housing), “while preserving the residential fabric of the neighborhood”, the development of green spaces and the arrival of a dedicated bus line linking the Pont de Bezons at Argenteuil station.

Fresh Market, Yamaha, Potel and Chabot

Among the projects, the former Ferme du Spahi (O'Marché Frais) whose reconstruction work, with 1,000 parking spaces, on the former Renault wasteland, will be completed next spring. The site of the former Rousseau metallurgical factory which will host an educational, health and social action establishment in 2026 with 70 follow-up care and rehabilitation beds and 10 day hospital places.

The 10^e college, at the intersection of avenues du Parc and du Château and rue Henri-Barbusse, whose schedule has been postponed several times, is promised for the 2027 school year.

Yamaha Motors Europe is continuing the development of its head office on Boulevard Héloïse, which will accommodate 200 employees and the prestigious caterer Potel et Chabot will move its laboratories to the former Yoplait industrial wasteland.

Finally, the Pirelli site, empty for three decades, is being revitalized with three concurrent construction sites as well as the former Dassault Aviation warehouse, boulevard du général-Delambre, intended for craftsmen, with work and storage spaces, deliverable in 2026.

The phase of work consisting of building housing and rebuilding the district and its November 11 Square, which must be “entirely redesigned to be a living, modern and dynamic entrance to the city”, according to Camille Gicquel, take more time.

Amendment

An amendment was adopted at the last council meeting. The construction project of 48,774 m² of floor space on two blocks integrating housing, businesses and essential public services, whose initial completion deadline was December 31, 2029, has been postponed to the end of 2032.

In addition, the progress of urban studies has revealed “ambitious needs for the development of public spaces” leading to an increase in the cost of public equipment, which goes from 3.76 million euros to 4.42 million excluding tax (including 75 % payable by the City).

Three years late

“Three years late is not nothing! », launched Omar Slaouti (dvg), who also questioned the 25% quota of social housing allocated to the program “in this particularly impoverished neighborhood, where the national housing agency -Anah- has carried out surveys and demonstrated that many are in financial difficulty, in great precariousness. Furthermore, there are different types of social housing, Plai, Pli, Plus etc. Some are aimed at very disadvantaged people and others who are a little less so. We know nothing about that.”

Agnes Ben Salem (dvd) proposed the creation of a special working commission on this project, including opposition elected officials.

According to Xavier Morin (Génération.s, Argenteuil solidarity and ecological), entrusting the redevelopment of the Place du 11-Novembre, “one of the most congested points in the city” to the Paris Sud development company based in Essonne “poses a problem”. “I would prefer it to be the City that develops this public space.” Before also “being surprised at the delay. It has now been ten years since the project was launched. When we also think about college we say to ourselves that it is a bit of a cursed area. Each time, we delay, we delay… One moment, this neighborhood will have to be developed correctly, we cannot leave things as they are, that's a certainty.”

Camille Gicquel defended the “competent and recognized” Paris Sud Aménagement company chosen for the development of the square and repeated that the management was carried out by multiple partners.

“It takes time because land control is required and there is the rehousing operation.”

The district representative, Aliatte Chiahoumunicipal councilor, stressed that the Val-Notre-Dame neighborhood committee is “very active” and that consultation around this project was a reality, “with meetings with residents, where these projects are discussed”.

Xavier Péricat made it clear that this project “has actually been going on for too long but it is up to me, benefiting from my age, to recall that we voted on December 30, 2004 for a Zac area to take care of this neighborhood. It was within your majority, Mr. Morin, that this perimeter was canceled in 2009/2010 and you proposed nothing instead and it was in 2016, taking advantage of the national interest contract, that we were able to resume this project.”

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