Condominium Union of Chamonix-Sud
Continuation of the renovation works in Chamonix-Sud …
Our complex was built by Pierre et Vacances between 1979 and 1985, forty years ago…
There are 19 buildings with 1,200 flats and shops in the center of our 33,300 m² pedestrian village.
Each condominium is responsible for the maintenance of its buildings. The Union of 1,200 co-owners is responsible for the maintenance of the road ways (allée Marcel-Burnet, via d’Aoste, Edmond-Désailloud Square and its side roads), the wooded area and the car parks (500 spaces, 375 of which are underground).
Since 2018, the Union has been renovating Chamonix-Sud:
- modernisation of the exterior lighting;
- maintenance of the Allée Marcel-Burnet: asphalt, closure, signage, creation of disabled parking;
- maintenance of the Via d’Aoste: asphalt, signs, pavements + disabled access, creation of “drop-off” spaces.
Future works planned by the Union include :
- maintenance of the Edmond-Désailloud Square and its adjacents paths: asphalt, green spaces, landscaping, improved disabled access;
- maintenance of the underground car park: renovation of the concrete structure, painting, signage.
This is why we would like everyone’s input to help define a new layout of the square and its surroundings!
We are submitting this website to the 1,200 co-owners in order to present the situation, the issues at stake, but also to collect your opinions and ideas.
In the autumn of 2021, we will communicate your feedback to the project team (project manager, architect, landscaper) who will work on the preliminary project according to the following schedule:
- end of 2021, definition of the work to be carried out;
- first half of 2022: calls for tender;
- second half of 2022: study of the responses, and advice to be given to the 10 co-ownerships;
- first half of 2023: votes at the General Meetings of the 10 condominiums, then a summary vote at the General Meeting of the Union;
- work in six phases: autumn 2023, spring and autumn 2024, spring and autumn 2025, spring 2026.
Future works planned by the Union include :
- maintenance of the Edmond-Désailloud Square and its adjacents paths: asphalt, green spaces, landscaping, improved disabled access;
- maintenance of the underground car park: renovation of the concrete structure, painting, signage.
Infiltrations and cracks
Posts bases altered by humidity
Cracked load-bearing elements
Cracked load-bearing elements
The results of this study is extremely clear: while the slab is in good condition, the surface pavement of the Edmond-Désailloud Square is dilapidated and perforated in many places, leading to major rainwater and snow melt leaks. While it has not been properly maintained, it must also be noted that its expected lifespan was set at 25 years, while it is now almost 40!
Water ingress has significantly damaged the surface(causing cracks, holes, bumps, etc.). These represent risks to the safety of pedestrians, and have weakened supporting structures, creating structural weaknesses in the car park.
It is no longer sustainable to simply patch and seal the surface as has been done in the past. A comprehensive solution requires a complete overhaul of the surface covering.
This means that the entire Edmond-Désailloud Square and the adjacent paths will be stripped bare… (in orange)
These are material and essential works, which will significantly improve the quality of the public realm, in turn also improving the look and feel of our pedestrian district.
In green, you see the Roseraie park which could be improved.
It is your representatives who, at the request of the condominium owners, initiated this work.
Your representatives on the Union Council are presenting to you their informed opinion:
Edmond-Désailloud Square covers some 11,000 m², not included the area of the Roseraie park.
Invaluable green spaces and conviviality in the centre of Chamonix!
When it was built, our property was far from the centre of Chamonix. Today, Chamonix has changed and the new buildings built around make ours look old and tired in contrast.
The real estates prices reflect this contrast: all around us, the prices of flats are at least €500 to €1,000 higher per m²!
The work we are presenting to you today is material but also expensive. However it is in the interest of every one of us not to delay before carrying it out:
- our underground car park is a real asset! It is a privilege to be able to park in the centre of town these days when increasingly central parking is either disappearing or dearly priced;
- not only the car park is deteriorating, but also the quality of the outside spaces, access to shops, access to our buildings, and therefore our living environment and that of our tenants;
- time is again us and our assets are at stake; the diagnostic study makes clear that the longer we wait, the more serious damage is occurring.
The financing of the work will pay dividends for everyone because the price per square meter will catch up with the surrounding area. Example: for an average property of 20 m², the cost of the work will be approximately €4,000 , whereas the potential increase in property value would be at least €10,000.
We have contacted a financial organisation specialising in condominium to provide financing options.
Through using this organisation, co-owners who wish to do so can spread the cost of development over a period of up to ten years, at a low cost.
The team of landscape architects will propose layouts based on the opinions that you will give us in the consultation questionnaire that has been sent to you. This is why your involvement is important.