At the crossroads of its industrial past and its sustainable future, Reims continues its urban metamorphosis. Capital of champagne, the city of Sacres, a cultural and heritage destination, it now attracts more and more families and assets in search of a balanced, green and connected living environment. It is in this context that the site of the Magasins Généraux, emblematic farmland of Port Colbert, is transformed into a mixed, living and exemplary neighbourhood, carried by Aménagement & Territoires, subsidiary of the Kaufman & Broad group. A winner of the Friche 2021 Fund and part of the Plan France Relance, the project illustrates a clear ambition: to make this 4.8-hectare farmland a place of sustainable, open and inclusive living, combining residential quality, environmental innovation and local memory.
The future face of Port Colbert
Just a 15 minute walk from the TGV train station, 1 hour from Paris, and connected to the city centre by the large green gate and the “Promenades” the future neighbourhood has an ideal location. Connected to the “Reims à vélo” bicycle network and soon served by a high service bus line, it will be the gateway to the future urban space of Port Colbert. With its refurbished docks, local shops and generously vegetated public spaces, it will offer a new piece of town, lively and accessible to all.
Assumed and generational diversity
The project illustrates a plurality of uses and audiences to draw a living and balanced neighbourhood :
- 380 self catering apartments, from studio to 5 rooms, to meet the needs of first time buyers as well as Francilian families in search of quality of life,
- 299 student housing units managed by Neoresid, with 458 m ² of common spaces (multi purpose room, cinema, shared kitchen, indoor garden…),
- Two higher education institutions : the NEOMA Business School, which will welcome up to 4,700 students, and the ESAD in Reims with its 250 students, constituting the first academic and creative pole of the Grand East,
- 1,300 m ² of shops and services at the foot of the building and by the canal, for daily life and leisure.
A generational and social mix that guarantees the vitality of the neighbourhood, from the student campus to the large family, in a setting where housing, education, culture and business life come together.
Preserving the memory of the places
The imposing building of the General Stores will be completely renovated as a symbol of remarkable history. It will constitute the identity heart of the neighbourhood, next to the brick chimney that marks the entrance from the canal. As witnesses to the industrial past, these heritage elements are preserved and valued to place memory in the daily lives of future inhabitants.
A restored nature and a low carbon neighbourhood
Conceived as an exemplary eco neighbourhood, the project demonstrates that urban planning can combine with ecology and sobriety:
- 2.4 hectares of vegetated land, representing 35% of the total area of the district,
- hundreds of trees and shrubs planted to enrich local biodiversity,
- ecological frames, vegetated roofs, nest boxes and wildlife cottages,
- a targeted Effinature certification, guaranteeing a high level of biodiversity,
- Prestaterre BEE + and NF Habitat HQE certified buildings, favouring healthy and biosourced materials,
- reuse of demolition waste with Democles to limit the carbon footprint.
Added to this is a major innovation: a groundwater geothermal network, unprecedented in France, developed with E.ON. This system, covering 75% of renewable energy needs, will avoid the emission of 689 tonnes of CO ₂ per year and ensure optimal comfort (heating, cooling, hot water) while controlling energy costs.
A concerted and prefigured project
From the beginning, the inhabitants’ words were placed at the heart of the process with the ‘Civic Footprint’ approach: micro sidewalks, participatory workshops, public meetings. This ongoing consultation allowed the project to adapt to local expectations. Furthermore, a transitory urban planning approach has animated the site even before the start of the works. The summers of 2021 and 2022 welcomed more than 83,000 visitors through the ‘Magasin Libre’ event: concerts, 5,000 m ² of murals co created with the collective artist Quai 36, exhibitions and activities, prefiguring the future life of the neighbourhood and building a strong link with the Rémois.
A collective and exemplary project
With the Magasins Généraux, Kaufman & Broad and its Aménagement & Territoires subsidiary, alongside the City of Reims and Grand Reims, revive an industrial wasteland to make it a mixed, sustainable and creative neighbourhood. By combining memory and innovation, ecological ambitions and quality of life, the project illustrates the urban transformation of Reims and its ability to invent the city of tomorrow.
