The mayor of Rennes recognized “a strange timing”. This weekend, visuals of the future Stade Rennais training center were posted on the site of the architectural firm Nem, which was obviously selected to design the extension of the football club’s HQ. A few days earlier, Mayor Nathalie Appéré had however assured that the building permit had not been filed by the club of François Pinault and that it would not be before “several weeks”. The promise also that the project would first be presented to the advisory committee created in the face of the revolt of certain collectives. The architectural firm has obviously decided otherwise.
On the images produced by Artefactory, we can guess what the future training center will be, which is now divided into two sites: the Prévalaye natural site, where the training grounds are located, and the training, located at the foot of Roazhon Park. Heckled, Stade Rennais had revised its extension project downwards. Instead of five pitches as planned, the club had agreed to build only two at La Piverdière, de facto reducing its footprint. But not popular protest. This Monday, a group questioned the city council about the eviction notice received by several gardeners with a plot on the road to Sainte-Foix. Fueling the rumor that the extension project was already tied up, even before being presented to the advisory committee. A demonstration is organized in the town hall square to denounce the project.
Didier Chapellon, biodiversity assistant, tried to reassure opponents, promising that the project “has evolved a lot in recent months” and that the club will soon present it to the management committee. The dispute will not have allowed the defenders of Prévalaye to win their case. Stade Rennais will extend over 3.5 additional hectares, bringing its footprint to 15 hectares? “La Piverdière is 15 hectares out of the 150 that make up the Prévalaye. We are confetti. We listened to the comments and we developed our project, which can still evolve, ”promised the president of Stade Rennais Nicolas Holveck, during a press conference.
“Badging points” remain to be specified
“The images are not surprising, it is the meaning of the project which will be presented in March by the club”, assures Nathalie Appéré. The mayor specifies that “points of wedging” remain to be clarified, in particular concerning the emphyteutic lease which will be signed between the club and the city, owner of the land. “Natural and fertile land should only be used as a last resort. First, you have to target polluted land and land that is already artificial,” said an opponent of the project. La Prévalaye is a recognized area of biodiversity that the city had promised to protect and sanctuary.
In front of the town hall #Rennes, the collective “save the lands of Rennes” organize a popular and symbolic football game against the project to extend the training center of the @Rennais Stadium on agricultural or ecologically fragile areas in Prévalaye. pic.twitter.com/UJGFmYxBfX
– France 3 Brittany (@france3Bretagne) January 17, 2022
On its website, the firm NeM specifies that the extension program includes “a boarding school, schooling (classrooms), offices for the administration, management, communication services, a sports training center and a professional training center “.