ThoseDevelopment in Geneva
The state sells 40,000 m² of land in Carouge for 3 million francs
The plots include the battle park, the roads and the central square of the Tambourine district.
The central square of the Tambourine district can be refurbished thanks to the acquisition of land by the Sardinian city.
GEORGES CABRERA
- Carouge buys the battle park from the canton, the roads and the central square of the Tambourine district.
- This district has been waiting for decent public spaces for over twenty years.
- The final arrangements will be completed by 2030.
It took two localized district plans, so many petitions and several years of negotiations between the State and The municipality of Carouge so that The Tambourine Quarter May consider having public spaces worthy of the name.
Wednesday, during its return to school session, the Council of State should indeed sign the sale of 40,000 m2 of land at the Sardinian city for 3 million francs, ending a saga that has lasted for more than twenty years.
Concretely, the agreement which links the two entities provides for the transfer to Carouge of the battle (or more than 2 hectares of greenery zone located above Rondeau), roads and the central plot of the district.
Laborious discussions
To understand how this district found itself in this situation, it is necessary to go back in the early 2000s. Nearly 1,700 people then move in twelve new buildings.
The site wanted to be exemplary, but the new inhabitants quickly deplore the lack of green spaces, a car traffic that infiltrates everywhere, the virtual absence of commercial premises and the inexistence of a welcoming central place. A first petition was launched in 2001 to request a revision of the localized neighborhood plan (PLQ).
It is necessary to wait almost seventeen years of discussions and political debates between the municipality, the inhabitants, the state, the university and the high schools so that the revised PLQ is finally approved by the Grand Council in 2018. It will come into force the following year.
The new version has many improvements. However, a problem complicates its realization: a large part of the public spaces is in the hands of the State, and the discussions on the sale of the latter to the Sardinian city are laborious, due in particular to the price.
Constructible land
The main stumbling block: the presence of 2100 m2 of building land located on the central plot of the district. Building rights that would make this site densify and therefore draw an income from it. But Carouge does not wish to densify this site. The municipality plans to build only a small building housing public facilities and a tea room or coffee.
It was not until the deposit of a new petition by the inhabitants with the Grand Council and the Sardinian Municipal Council in 2023, as well as two other years of negotiations, for the project to finally be unlocked.
Divergent interests
The news of a financial agreement between the canton and the municipality is therefore a relief for The association of inhabitants of the Tambourine district. Armin Murmann, member of the committee, is delighted: “We are very happy with this outcome. We really had to be patient. It was difficult to make certain state services accept to abandon their claims on the buildable square meters. ”
He adds: “I am 80 years old and, thanks to this agreement, I still have the hope of being able to drink a coffee in the Tea-Room which is planned on the central square …”
On the state side, the territory department is delighted with this outcome. He explains the length of the procedure as follows: “As in many cases of negotiations, the interests of the commune of Carouge and those of the State of Geneva diverged on certain elements, having required expertise and then negotiations, both technical and political.”
Land in private hands
The mayor of Carouge in charge of the file, Sonja Molinari, also salutes this positive outcome and specifies that it will however be necessary to wait a little more to carry out this file in the long term: “twenty percent of the land intended to become public spaces belong to private, but the negotiations for their acquisition are underway”, she assures.
As indicated by “Le Courrier”, the Carougeois deliberative has already voted last spring a total credit of 3.5 million francs allowing the repurchase of land in the canton as well as to the private.
To this amount are added 482,700 francs intended for the realization of provisional arrangements such as the restoration of pedestrian and cycle paths and the improvement of the central place sector in collaboration with associations active on the site. These projects should be implemented in September.
Future vote
Definitive developments should be completed by 2030. They will include a landscaped project for the Battle park, traffic limitation measures and securing the forecourt of the Tambourine School. A final redevelopment of the central square will also be carried out. Their financing will be the subject of a new vote of the Carougeois municipal council by the end of the year.
“Latest news”
Do you want to stay at the top of the info? “Tribune de Genève” offers you two meetings per day, directly in your e-mailbox. To not miss anything of what is happening in your canton, Switzerland or in the world.
Other newsletters
Did you find an error? Please report it to us.
