FINANCING the PROJECT :
In order to start the construction of PORT GRIMAUD and to realize the necessary infrastructures, the architect had to convince investors to bring him financial means...
Find financiers :
François SPOERRY himself acquired the uncultivated land of 35 hectares (later to reach 71 hectares), where PORT GRIMAUD was to be built, so as not to have to answer to anyone: He wanted to control the project in its entirety: He therefore became Promoter, Project Manager and Owner! A "first", contrary to custom!
The Order of Architects cried scandal, but François SPOERRY explained himself as follows :
"With my team, we certainly differed from the habits of the profession, but it seems to me that the mode of practice that we were trying to inaugurate made it possible to give architecture an aesthetic and technical quality that the scattering of decisions and responsibilities in programming and execution is far from guaranteeing...
There is no incompatibility between the profession of developer and that of project manager, the two professions being perfectly complementary: the definition of a programme is the approach of the project manager, its design that of the project manager..."
François SPOERRY therefore founded a service company which even handled certain real estate operations for which he was the architect.
To get the project off the ground, he had to call on private investors: But doubting the success of the project, very few took the risk...
A first bank loan of 3 million was raised, which even then was of course not enough, hence the decision to build one section at a time, the sale of the first section allowing the next to be built...
The first launch tranche was 90% subscribed to on plans. It was such a success that the second tranche was entirely sold out despite a significant price increase, also on plans, and that 300 people were put on a waiting list for the third tranche whose deadline had not yet been set...
Specific funding :
François SPOERRY was deeply involved in the construction of social housing. At the time, he was in contact with other people who were also interested in this problem, including Neue Helmat, a German company financing exclusively social projects.
François Spoerry had great difficulty in finding partners to finance the first stage of construction.
As in the current project, social housing was planned between Rue du Septentrion and Avenue de la Mer, the architect called upon Neue Helmat who accepted, out of friendship, to participate in the creation of this new city...
See the page dedicated to Abbé PIERRE...
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Aerial views on 19/03/67.
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The SCI PORT GRIMAUD :
Until 1975, the lake city was constituted as a SCI :
The Société Civile Immobilière de PORT GRIMAUD, whose registered office was in Mulhouse, 6 rue du Réservoir, was originally created by 2 partners, the company TERRAQUA and the company REBAL, on the basis of the law of 28 June 1938 and its article 1 authorising the construction of a property complex as its corporate object and with a view to a subsequent allocation in full ownership to the partners, after the dissolution of the said company; a real estate complex as part of its corporate purpose and with a view to a subsequent allocation in full ownership to the partners, after dissolution of the said company.
This SCI was managed by the company E.T.I.G.E., headed by Mr René EHRINGER.
An Extraordinary General Meeting, convened on 29 March 1975, was to decide on the early dissolution of SCI PORT GRIMAUD, in accordance with Article 41 of the Company Articles of Association and at the request of a large number of residents.
At that date, after the transfer of the majority of the shares by the original partners, it brought together a thousand partners, all of whom were jointly and severally liable for both the assets and liabilities of the company.
Each of the partners held a group of shares to which was attached the enjoyment of a lot, and not its full ownership, which could only be granted after partial or total dissolution of the Société Civile.
The major disadvantages of the original SCI partners were real :
- Financial solidarity
- Impossibility to dispose freely of their property or to mortgage it as security for a loan…
The SCI was to be dissolved upon full completion of the programme and approval of the final construction accounts.
At the Extraordinary Meeting of April 1975, these conditions were fulfilled, except for 3 buildings that had not been built by the date of the meeting due to the lack of the corresponding administrative authorisations.
Solution retained: These 3 buildings not realised by the SCI (Station Total, tranche VIII A bis and Résidence du Port) will be registered within the framework of 3 daughter companies, freeing the Parent company from a heavy obligation.
The two-year and ten-year guarantees remained applicable after the dissolution of the SCI.
The dissolution was to be effective on 30 November 1975.
An ASSOCIATION SYNDICALE DES PROPRIETARES de PORT GRIMAUD was born, bringing together all the owners of the town.
Maitre PERRIN, assisted by owners mandated by the Syndical Council, was in charge of drawing up the Statutes and the Cahier des Charges, defining the Rights and Duties of each party.
At the GENERAL ASSEMBLY of 17 April 1976, Maitre PERRIN stated that he had obtained the release of the various mortgages taken out in favour of the 44 banks which had granted loans to the various transferees on the entire property of SCI PORT GRIMAUD.
Mr DELEVAL, surveyor, proceeded to draw up the cadastral plan mentioning all the private plots as well as the land and equipment belonging to the Association Syndicale.
The company ETIGE and the Cabinet d’Architecture were responsible for calculating the tantièmes d’Association Syndicale for each of the lots and the millièmes de copropriété for the collective buildings.
Since 1976, the lake town has been managed by the Association Syndicale des Corpopriétaires de Port Grimaud 1.
Port Grimaud 2 and Port Grimaud 3 are managed by an equivalent association.
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choix des matériaux :
Once the financing was in place, it was necessary to choose the different materials to be used for the construction of the houses : ( in French )
Some drawings :
Some drawings from Mr Spoerry's architectural office :
| THE WORK of François SPOERRY... |
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