Toulouse. To become “a national reference”, this sports temple will be completely renovated
By Anthony Assemat
Published on
Inaugurated in 2005, André Brouat sports hall (who was the president of the rugby section of Stade Toulousain from 1964 to 1966) had not seen any major work until then. But things are going well in a few months.
The reconfiguration of the sports hall (3, rue Pierre Laplace) and this vast space located in Compans-Caffarelli, next to the Pierre Baudis congress center and the Reflets Compans shopping mall, is divided into several projects.
The small sports hall will be demolished
The first concerns the demolition of the small sports hall. Already approved by the town hall of Toulouse, the diggers should begin to be activated by the end of 2022. Three clubs are playing until the end of the 2021-2022 season in this enclosure annexed to the sports hall: the Toulouse Basket Club (TBC )the women of Toulouse Métropole Basket (TMB) and the disabled sports club of Toulouse Iron Club (TIC), still in basket. Three teams which have already partially moved their activities within the Léo-Lagrange complex, where they will play their matches from the resumption of the 2022-2023 season.
“We can’t wait any longer”
The Sports Palace is occupied by the Fenix Handball and the Spacers volleyball players. A structure in which the two clubs are cramped, impacting their daily lives, from pro teams to educators. “This sports hall has a history, it is interesting. But it’s not modern, and that’s a real problem for us,” says Philippe Dallard, president of Fenix. Who wants to be more incisive.
“The State and local authorities have helped us get through the Covid period, even if the situation is economically unenviable. But on the structures, it is time for us to turn a corner, our ambitions are sometimes limited in this palace. of sports. We have trouble finding educators, and finding niches for them. This is becoming a real obstacle. Our wish is to chart a future for our players, to have a vision. We now play the European Cup regularly. “Europe and handball is the number one indoor sport in the South West. We can’t wait any longer.”
“Make the Sports Palace a national benchmark”
With the various transfers of skills, it is Toulouse Métropole which manages the structural part of the sports hall, like the Stadium or the Cépière racecourse. Philippe Plantade, vice-president of Toulouse Métropole in charge of sports and leisure bases, details for Toulouse News the ambitions of the community to renovate the Toulouse enclosure.
“I met Philippe Dallard and Jean Azéma (the president of the Volley spacers, editor’s note). Our objective is to make the sports hall a reference at the national level. It must be embellished and renovated to give another dimension to clubs”.
The first sketches of the project
The work around the project has started, even if the architect teams have not yet been chosen. But the first sketches are promising. The main point of the project consists in the creation of a glazed reception area, with a major interior renovation concerning the sports hall, video, sound (the sound system will be redone in the coming months), offices, VIP areas, public access… In short, giving space to clubs that have clearly felt cramped for years.
The Fenix also wants a real space for cryotherapy, a strong axis for the recovery of athletes.
TBS: expansion work at the end of 2022
On the Pierre Baudis center side, an enlargement of 200 to 300 m2is under study even if everything is still a bit early. Because we will have to compensate for the loss of space caused by the expansion work of the Toulouse Business School (TBS), which must also begin at the end of 2022 or the beginning of 2023, removing the courtyard and the parking lot below.
This brand new campus with a surface area of 31,500 m² will include sports facilities, a cyberspace, coworking areas, multimedia rooms and dedicated spaces for associations. Green terraces on the top floor promise a beautiful view of the Pink City. The opening, scheduled for 2023 before the start of the health crisis, has been postponed to 2025.
Estimated cost of the project: 3.5 million
On the other hand, the site does not concern the capacity of the enclosure, which will remain at a maximum of 4200 places. Inside, in recent years, the seats had been changed while large cube-shaped advertising screens had been installed, like what is done in large halls.
In its multi-year investment plan (PPI), Toulouse Métropole will provide an envelope of 3.5 million euros in the project. The Metropolis hopes to succeed in a brand new sports hall by 2025.
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