• The city council of Rennes voted in favor of the demolition of the Vilaine car park, built in the 1960s. 

  • The objective is to discover the river that has flowed below for sixty years and to green the city center.

    The scenario providing for a surface park was not retained. 

  • The start of this project, estimated at 17 million euros, should take place in 2024 for delivery in 2027.

A sea serpent. Debated for years, the future of the Vilaine car park was decided two years ago when the mayor of Rennes, Nathalie Appéré, announced her desire to abolish it if she was re-elected. The question of his future had not been settled. After months of reflection and the appointment of a citizen jury, the municipal council has come out in favor of the "uncovering" of the car park located above the Vilaine and which marks the passage between the northern part and the southern part. of the Breton capital. This demolition scenario was the one that won the most votes among the 30 members of the citizen jury drawn by lot. It is also the one who convinced the elected officials of the city, gathered this Monday in the municipal council. Covered since the 1960s, the Vilaine will once again show itself.And everything suggests that this is excellent news.

"The first blows of the pickaxe are not for now", warns the mayor. In view of the task at hand, we even think that the pickaxe will not be enough. But from the last quarter of 2024, it is a part of the history of Rennes which will be demolished to (re) discover the Vilaine. “It's a piece of the city's history and its heritage that will be re-examined. We are going to close the page on the all-car era which was popular in the 1960s and 1970s”, presents the first deputy for town planning, Marc Hervé. An envelope of 17 million euros will be granted to this emblematic project, including two to three million euros provided solely for the demolition of this imposing concrete space.

The decision to discover the river was not taken in a hurry. Since its appointment, almost a year ago, the citizen jury has considered several scenarios: one favoring the discovery, another opting for the transformation of the car park into a large park, and a third hybrid project, eventually abandoned. "Our goal was for it to become a place of destination and more of a place of passage, for it to become a must in Rennes", explains Marie, one of the members of the citizen jury. The ecological concern was significant, in particular to fight against heat islands, but the traffic aspects were not neglected because the place is central and should not constitute a barrier between the north and the south."Your project is likely to upset both the economic balance and the geographical balance of our city", warns Antoine Cressard, elected representative of Révéler Rennes (LREM group).

The selected project will delight those who are accustomed to navigating the river. While they have been asking for facilities for months to dock, kayakers or rowing enthusiasts will be able to disembark easily thanks to the pontoons that will be set up on the water. Open to pedestrians, this promenade along the water could even continue beyond the Place de Bretagne and connect to the Mitterrand mall without going back “through the surface”. Tiers would allow you to descend gradually. The walls of the platforms, grayed out by the years, could be planted or covered with artistic works. On the other platform, the citizens' jury pleads for the planting of trees "in the ground" and not just in pots as is the case in the car park today. On the visual provided by the urban planning agencies,the traffic lane located to the north would be removed to integrate more plants.

In 1960 🕰️, a second slab was built between the Nemours bridge and the Place de Bretagne to leave more room for the car 🚗 This is the current Vilaine car park 😉


La Vilaine in #podcast 👇https://t.co /nQqBPxI4Zc #Rennes pic.twitter.com/kNQiP7y2EJ

– Rennes City and Metropolis (@metropolerennes) December 17, 2021

The citizen jury also took the opportunity to rethink the future of the neighboring Place de la République.

Considered too mineral and unattractive, it should also be given a facelift.

“We plead for better lighting of the Palais du Commerce and a strong greening of the square so that people want to stop there and that we improve the feeling of security”.

The entire project should not be delivered before 2027 according to the elected officials.

reindeer

Rennes: The potted trees in the Town Hall Square have disappeared… But others are expected

reindeer

Rennes: No extension and more vegetation… The city is reviewing the transformation of the Palais du Commerce

Parking spaces created elsewhere

The disappearance of the parking offer so dear to traders will be compensated by the delivery of a major work of 300 places at the Hôtel-Dieu (compared to 250 places for the Vilaine car park).

“There will undoubtedly be a redistribution of uses on the Lices or Chézy car parks which are located in the city center”, anticipates Marc Hervé.

  • Nathalie Appere

  • Parking

  • Car park

  • Town planning

  • reindeer

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