An agreement to preserve a famous Marseille public park

“Today, faced with the risks of a legal procedure which could drag on until 2030 or more, we have decided to be constructive,” declared Éric Méry, municipal delegate for town planning, referring to the agreement with the company SAS Valmer.

In France's second city, where parks are rare, and after a mediation period of more than a year, the agreement provides that the 1,6 hectares surrounding the building become public again, without modification of the rent of 330.000 euros per year.

It also provides for the pedestrianization of the park and the appointment of a chief architect of historic monuments to ensure the preservation of the site which dominates the Mediterranean.

The luxury hotel project in the villa remains with a restaurant and a terrace accessible to all and should be completed in 2026, according to Mr. Méry.

SAS Valmer plans "an investment of four million euros, over the duration of operation, to support culture and to enable the hosting of cultural events [such as artist residencies]", added the municipal representative .

The town hall has also launched a procedure “to register [the building] on the list of historic monuments”, announced the elected official.

To formalize the agreement, a modification of the long lease will be presented to the municipal council on June 28.

In 2016, a decision by the town hall, then headed by Jean-Claude Gaudin (LR), transferred the villa through a long lease to the developer SAS Valmer who had obtained a building permit to turn it into a large hotel complex and privatize a part of its green setting.

In 2021, a dispute broke out with the current left-wing town hall and the project was stopped for more than two years.