Fouras Municipal Council: where we talk about the 4-star hotel again without actually talking about it

Officially, only a study for the future 4-star hotel was discussed at the municipal council meeting on July 21. Behind the scenes, however, the project is moving forward.

The municipal council meeting of Monday, July 21, was among the shortest meetings held in Fouras in 30 years. The decisions voted on, purely administrative, took barely 25 minutes!

However, when Mayor Daniel Coirier mentioned the need to bring the local urban planning plan (PLU) into line with the luxury hotel project in the city center and an expenditure of 8,700 euros excluding tax intended to pay for the study by the Bordeaux firm Creham, the opposition wanted to know more . Could Caro have taken this matter in hand? Would it have been cheaper?

"The project is too complex to entrust to just anyone," according to Daniel Coirier, who mentioned "possible technical issues." Nothing more has been revealed about this 4-star hotel project than in previous years, which nevertheless appears to be moving forward behind the scenes. Indeed, the mayor, contacted the next day, reported an all-committee meeting, reserved for elected officials, which took place on June 30th. "A private meeting that doesn't provide anything for residents, for the moment," he said. He added that the images of the buildings, designed by a La Rochelle architect, had apparently attracted even members of the opposition.

Daniel Coirier, who has promised transparency on this matter, justifies his approach. "I don't want to report on a poorly prepared file that would be rejected. We need to know where we're going before a public presentation. Because the operation will be long and complex. We need to be able to provide reliable information to residents. There's no point in rushing things; nothing has been done, and the compromise hasn't been signed."

Daniel Coirier simply mentions "the commitment of a very large real estate development group." According to our information, this would be the Duva l group (present at the June 30 meeting) which, in 2022, acquired the Bluegreen golf courses , specifically the one that operates the 18-hole Rochefort Océan course in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Prée. This same golf course that cannot find a candidate to build and operate a hotel or a hotel residence...

Duval, present throughout the world and particularly in Africa , certainly builds, but also provides services in food, energy transition, insurance, investment funds, specialist mass distribution, the raw materials market, venture capital, and also in charity and humanitarian work.

Finally, let's point out that in the late 2000s, Duval bought Odalys, renamed Magora , which manages tourist residences. It's worth remembering that during the first presentations of the hotel project to the municipal council in 2024, the Bordeaux-based Victoria group was tipped for its construction. This group, chaired by Fourasin Jacky Audevard, who was present at the presentation meetings, has already built the "Les Terrasses de Fort Boyard" residence (South beach), which is operated by Odalys, therefore Magora, therefore Duval.

While the mayor's caution is acceptable, the public would undoubtedly appreciate more details. Daniel Coirier has announced the first consultation meetings for the start of the school year. These meetings will be by invitation only.