In Cavalaire, the ambition of an "eco-responsible and social" town center

"This is not an election meeting, we are indeed presenting a real territorial project. " This preamble from the presenter, Tuesday evening at the village hall, was not superfluous because this two-hour meeting in front of 400 people seated and several dozen standing, on the port and "Cœur de Ville" was nevertheless intended for a large-scale promotion, in line with the inauguration of the Project House and the creation of the dedicated website (1). In two stages: a one-hour presentation before discussions with the public.

" The aim of this project is to create off-season attractiveness through infrastructure, provide work for our children, and make this city prosper. Does the winter offering live up to what people expect? I don't think so. Everyone will find something for them, with an eco-responsible dimension and social connection ," Mayor Philippe Leonelli recalled in his introduction, emphasizing that the project dates back to his 2008 campaign. He also emphasizes its collaborative aspect: " For two years, we listened, amended, and redone to develop a program that has evolved ."

In "Cœur de ville," architect Héloïse Guilmin synthesized the ambition to create three entities: associative and administrative, events (auditorium, conservatory, media library, etc.), and economic. " We tried to reconcile two scales that exist in Cavalaire, the tall buildings and the pavilions, to create a village feel, with the market square and the large garden. Around the gymnasium, we are bringing in more services and public spaces. "

Vincent Léger, head of landscaping, living environment and the environment, notes the ambition to: " Connect the current city center with the new one, all the way to the port, by creating a succession of small spaces on a human scale. The garden of cultures, large trees, a water line, pétanque courts. With a series of natural materials, wood, limestone, and 800 trees, shrubs and plants, for a diversity of species, colors, and freshness in the summer."

"A unifying place"

Regarding the redevelopment of the port, architect Sébastien Pons indicated that he had worked on a project " to reconnect with three main axes: the reunification of the basins by the removal of the central pier, proposing a route from the purely seaside area and working in connection with the heart of the city ."

The reflection was carried out with consideration of current issues related to climate change (marine submersion, flooding, etc.). Among the major developments was the repositioning of the harbor master's office opposite the access channel. " The idea of ​​landscape was immediately important to find a port that would no longer be a barrier between the city and the sea but a unifying place ," added landscape designer Charlotte Vaxelaire.

A change supported upstream by the DDTM (Departmental Directorate of Territories and the Sea), whose head, Laurent Boulet, summarized the contribution: " We are looking at the risks of projects in terms of flooding, runoff, and rising water levels by 2100. This file is closed for us; it has been validated ." The State is also a financial partner, like the Region and the Department.

61.5 million euros

Philippe Vecchi, Director General of Services at the town hall, details the financial package: " We based it on debt repayment capacity. The alert threshold is twelve years, our capacity is around two. We have injected the city center project until 2032 with all the other expenses, and we will have a debt repayment capacity that will not go beyond seven years. "

Of the €61.5 million including tax, subsidies represent €21 million, with a 30-year loan and the remainder self-financing. Work will begin in September and continue until 2029. For the port, " there will be no cost to the taxpayer ," declared Marc-Emmanuel Quirouard, director of the SPL. " Without any tax increase ," the mayor pledged.

Funding was among the public's concerns, as was the space for associations, the spaces dedicated to the harbor master's office, the choice of businesses and their year-round opening, construction carried out by developers, the rate of second homes, the search for health professionals, the number of parking spaces and the possible nuisances with the playground.

And what if there's a delay? A hypothesis dismissed by the City. " There is no technical, legal, or economic argument to consider it ," according to Philippe Vecchi.

1. www.enchantonscavalaire.fr