The Trémouille car park is threatened with closure on October 1 due to the non-renewal of the lease between Dijon Métropole, tenant and the departmental council, owner. To reach an agreement, François Rebsamen, president of the Metropolis, made 2 new proposals on August 20.
After the confrontation, the outstretched hand? This Friday, August 20, the metropolis of Dijon (Côte-d’Or) organized a press conference about the battle that has opposed it for several weeks with the departmental council about the Trémouille-Marché parking lot. The latter must close on October 1 because the two communities have still not reached an agreement for a new convention.
For 30 years, three of the five levels of the car park, i.e. 450 spaces, have been made available to Dijon Métropole by the departmental council, which is the owner. However, the lease expires on September 30, 2021. Inaugurated in January 2020, negotiations for a renewal of the concession have still not been concluded.
A disagreement that turns into a political fight
The file gave rise on August 6 to a pass of arms on social networks between François Sauvadet, president (UDI) of the departmental council and François Sauvadet, mayor (PS) of Dijon and president of the metropolis. The two elected officials blame themselves on the state of negotiations.
A few days later, on August 10, the Department sent us a press release defending its position. The document then explained that the agreement signed with Dijon Métropole provides for an annual rent of 346,769 euros. In its first proposal to renew the lease dating from May 2020, the metropolis explained that it wanted to buy the parking lot. An offer refused by the departmental council.
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In July 2020, François Rebsamen then submitted new conditions: the payment of an annual rent of 21,000 euros, i.e. 5% of the turnover generated by the car park and the absence of rental costs during the first year, “in exchange for the support by the metropolis of the 1.1 million euros of work estimated for the upgrading of the three levels”. Offer again rebutted and judged “fanciful, unrealistic and totally unbalanced” by the council headed by François Sauvadet.
Two new proposals from François Rebsamen this August 20
François Rebsamen is therefore back on August 20 with two new proposals for the departmental council in order to settle the conflict:
- The purchase of the Trémouille-Marché car park by Dijon Métropole while leaving a full floor free of charge to the Department
- The signing of a 20-year lease with an annual rent shared 50-50 between the Metropolis and the Department + total support by Dijon Métropole of the costs of the work to be carried out, i.e. 3 million euros.
François Rebsamen’s proposals
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© Anne Berger / France Televisions
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In addition, François Rebsamen returned to the rent currently paid by Dijon Métropole. “I understand that the Department wants to maximize its rental yield, but on our side, we cannot continue to pay 400,000 euros per year when we have already paid 10 million euros”, he breathed during the press conference.
I suggest that François Sauvadet negotiate with me and find a solution in the general interest.
François Rebsamen, president of Dijon Métropole
The president of the metropolis says he is open to discussion, especially since the parking lot is of capital importance, being located below the Dijon market. “I have hope for the people of Dijon, the inhabitants of the metropolis and the department who use this parking lot that an agreement can be reached with the president of the department”, he assures the microphone of France 3 Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.
Intimating every party to “to overcome the local bickering and see the general interest”, François Rebsamen reminds that in the event of disagreement, the car park will be closed to the public from October 1st. “We absolutely have to find a solution”.
The Department’s new refusal
But from this Friday, August 20, the departmental council refused the proposals, through the voice of its president.
“The departmental council of Côte-d’Or will remain the owner of the car park. It will assume 100% of its owner’s expenses. It is the tenant’s responsibility to assume 100% of their own”, writes François Sauvadet.
The services of the Department are to meet those of Dijon Métropole next week. The case is not yet over.
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