“A big waste”: the senior residence project in a historic building in Decazeville at a standstill

“The project is abandoned, the residency will not take place.” According to project manager Paul Bayle, the “La Belle Époque” senior residence in the building of the former Hôtel de France in Decazeville will not see the light of day, despite “many contacts” from individuals interested in this accommodation. This 4.5 million euro project included the construction of around forty apartments in the historic and central building of the former mining town.

“A big waste” for the Toulouse businessman – at the initiative of a similar project and also at a standstill in the former Saint-Louis clinic in Rodez – who says he has been cheated by the two promoters, equal shareholders of the civil construction-sales company (SCCV) “La Belle Époque”, owner of the premises and based in Montauban. In 2020, he entrusted them with carrying out the work which has still not started. “They’ve been trolling me for two years.”

“There is no worst-case scenario”

One of the two promoters assures for his part that “the project is not buried” and explains the delay by “difficulties in financing. The economic situation is not good. We were supposed to start the work more than ‘one year, but we had a big problem with unpaid debts (…) With my partner, we are still waiting for the response from potential investors to make a decision but there is no catastrophic scenario.

But while the building permit has expired, Paul Bayle, who was supposed to market the housing and then guarantee the management of the residence for 11 years, recalls having “agreements” with the two Montalbanais, aged 40 and 51. “If they carry out the project, they must do it according to my criteria, with my specifications. The building permit is my responsibility.”

The launch of the project would also require the prior sale to investors of the majority of the planned housing units, allowing developers to obtain a financial guarantee and buyers to become owners as the work progresses.

A danger order soon to be issued by the municipality

A complex situation that does not reassure the municipality, concerned about the state of the building and which is unable to communicate with its two owners. “We cannot reach them despite promises of meetings. (…) The bailiffs have tried, without success”, testifies François Marty, mayor of Decazeville and president of the community of communes. The phantom owners also never showed up for a meeting set with a local investor who had come forward to buy the abandoned building and build housing there.

In the impasse, a danger order should soon be issued by Decazeville community, in charge of the dilapidated building, to force the owners to carry out work on the structure which is seriously degraded and which may even be squatted. In this context, an expert should be appointed by the administrative court.