A hard blow for the former Brusson wastelands just sold to the Essor group by the municipality of Villemur-sur-Tarn: a fire broke out on Monday in the heart of the magnificent buildings intended for a grandiose project.
It’s a hard blow to start the year. A major fire broke out this Monday afternoon, January 2, in the former Brusson establishments in Villemur-sur-Tarn. We still do not know what the origin is even if no one rules out the criminal trail. The old rusk and pasta factory has become an industrial wasteland where the electricity was cut off decades ago. It therefore seems impossible that an act other than voluntary started the fire. It is one of the main parts of Brusson which is ravaged and where the fire continued to spread late Monday afternoon, threatening other buildings.
This event falls very badly. The municipality has just sold this wasteland to the Essor group, which is considering a magnificent project estimated at 30 million euros. The mayor, Jean-Marc Dumoulin, particularly invested in this project, had never hidden his fears that such an event would occur in view of the intrusions of recent years, despite the securing of the site.
The fire continued to spread late Monday afternoon, threatening other buildings.
On the spot this Monday, he could only observe, helpless, the spread of the flames despite the rapid intervention of the firefighters of Villemur and Fronton: “It’s a horror. It’s impossible to stay close as there are “There’s smoke. We’ve been asked to evacuate the Magnolias home. Some of the residents will go to the retirement home, the other to the families. We are saddened to see what is happening. We meet the fingers so that the damage is limited…”
The fire broke out in the afternoon and was still spreading at 5 p.m….Photo Yves Barat
The “delayed” project
This is also what Dominique Laplace hopes. The project manager at Essor, contacted by telephone, was dejected: “It’s really a hard blow. We are not yet measuring the damage. It is therefore impossible to comment on the impact on the project. We know that “It will probably be delayed due to investigations and insurance. On the other hand, no one knows what will have to be done afterwards. It all depends on what remains. If the frame disappears, it’s a lesser evil… if the structure is affected, there, on the other hand, it will be a problem…”
Jean-Marc Dumoulin, the mayor of Villemur, powerless in the face of disaster.
The project led by Essor is appealing. The group envisages, on the ground floor, a few shops such as a delicatessen, a wine shop, co-working spaces, but also hotels, a restaurant, or even a café – tea-snack room, a health area – spa… The floors will be occupied, over 2,000 m2, by accommodation, some of which could be reserved for first-time buyers. Discussions have also started with the social landlord Cité-Jardin. The so-called “Eiffel” room could become a space dedicated to the history of the site, with cooking workshops: “There is no shortage of ideas at Essor! We also have the experience and know-how to carry out term of beautiful projects. The one done in Brusson will be a magnificent one, I’m sure”, said Dominique Laplace during a recent interview.
We were also able to visit the wasteland at the time of the signature of the promise of saleas seen in the archive footage below.