“An emblematic project of urban transformation” for the mayor of Compiègne. “A driving force for economic development and improvement of the living environment”, in the eyes of the mayor of Margny-lès-Compiègne.
Until March 1st, the Maison des Projets houses an exhibition on the Gare eco-district. Inaugurated on Saturday January 11 in the presence of Philippe Marini and Bernard Hellal, mayors of Compiègne and Margny-lès-Compiègne, this exhibition evokes the transformations of this district between now and 2035. The two mayors are respectively president and vice-president of the Agglo of Compiègne, which is leading this project.
Started at the beginning of the 2000s, this transformation allowed the district to benefit from the label at the end of 2022. The two main characteristics are, on the one hand, a redevelopment of traffic, taking into account soft mobility and public transport, and on the other hand to the creation of new housing and living spaces.
This project includes strong points such as the installation of a green forecourt, reserved for the circulation of pedestrians and cyclists opposite the station. A station which will undergo a total reconstruction carried out by the SNCF, by 2028.
“Rebuilding the city on the city”
There is talk of widening the hopper, the underground passage under the railway tracks, and adapting it to gentle traffic. Particularly bicycles which will benefit from numerous cycle paths.
The work carried out at the end of 2024 has already made it possible to review automobile traffic around the Place de la gare, the Place du 54ème RI and at the end of the Pont Louis XV.
Additional offices and parking lots will be created. Particularly on the Margny side, where the creation of a new square will offer a new town heart to this town marked by railway life.
“It’s about rebuilding the city within the city,” underlines Bernard Hellal. When his counterpart Philippe Marini is more poetic: “We look at each other. And this project, now well underway, will make it possible to connect the right and left banks of the Oise in order to look in the same direction.”
10,000 passengers per day currently
The profound restructuring of the SNCF station itself and the rail service remains at the center of the project. If currently, we record 10,000 passengers per day, this figure will increase by around 30% according to the SNCF. In particular thanks to the commissioning of the Picardy-Roissy link by 2028, at a rate of sixteen daily traffic for Compiègne and Margny. Which will place the international airport 45 minutes away, without having to go through Paris. And this will constitute an important advantage for the economic development of Compiégnois.
Housing, offices, shops and a hotel
This transformation is being used to remove old, dilapidated buildings and abandoned houses. This will allow new constructions to be implemented. 350 housing units including 20% social housing, and a total of 15,000m2 offices will be created. By their location near the railway line, they will form an acoustic screen facing future homes. Finally, the ground floor of the buildings will house more than 1,500 m2 of shops and services. All served by the public transport network.
The highlight of the station eco-district: the four-star hotel, which will be built in place of old houses that have now been demolished. The building permit has just been adopted after supervision by the architect of the buildings of France. “This hotel will include luxury suites and will benefit from a truly exceptional view of the Oise and the city,” rejoices Philippe Marini.
A view all the more pleasant as the banks of the river which crosses the two towns will accommodate a walk. “It will be able to go from Venette to the Pont de Soissons,” underline the elected officials.
Elected officials have drawn up the guidelines for the transformation of the station district. “This is part of the national approach to eco-neighborhoods,” concludes Philippe Marini. It is based on the modernization of the place but also on the strengthening of the link between the two banks and between the two municipalities.
Multimodal exchange hub
According to the definition, a multimodal exchange hub (PEM) makes it possible to connect different modes of transport: walking, cycling, car and public transport (free in the territory of Compiègne). The aim is to facilitate these different circulations, to ensure connections between them and the safety of users.
