In Roubaix, Notre-Dame is for sale: how much does a church cost?

Desecrated in 1983, property of the city of Roubaix, Notre-Dame church has been for more than 10 years a reception room, the Gobelins. But this project was stopped in 2005. What becomes of the building? For sale through the city, he expects a buyer. We visited it. We explain everything about its sale: price, condition, work …

Closed since 2011

The building is majestic, very well placed, in front of a green square, between the city center and the Anne Franck college, directly on United Nations Avenue. The Notre-Dame church has everything of a large emblematic building of the city!

And yet, this place has been inactive for 10 years, closed to the public, attacked by dry rot. What happened so that this building of impressive dimensions fell into oblivion? What is his future ? Who will bring the church out of its torpor?

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The church dates from 1846. “It is very large, being able to contain 3000 people, because it was built before the expansion of the St-Martin church in the city center, which could not accommodate large gatherings because it was too small. . Hence the desire to build a building with impressive volumes, ”explains François Vergin, in charge of architecture, culture and heritage at the town hall of Roubaix.

Desecrated in 1983, the building was listed as a Historic Monument (but not classified) shortly after. It was almost demolished when the United Nations Avenue was opened.

Then, the building experienced an original activity for a former place of worship: a reception room! The Gobelins fairs settled there from 1992 to 2011. Events were organized there: weddings, seminars … The city, still the owner, has rented the space for this project. A real place of life. But since 2011, nothing.

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The city would like to point out that the building is not abandoned. “We have a surveillance of our real estate assets, there are regular visits to our services so that it does not deteriorate faster and to repair the most urgent”, indicates Bastien Gobert, director of real estate and town planning at the town hall of Roubaix.

The state today

We were able to visit Notre-Dame. Dust is the new resident. On the ground, a huge red carpet recalls the reception lounge episode of the place. A huge net has been installed on the ceiling to prevent falling stones.

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In the choir, a monument to the dead lies on the ground, next to a statue of the Virgin with severed hands, “probably after an intrusion, to find out if it was metal” we are told. But bad luck for unwanted visitors, the object is in plaster. Bastien Gobert reassures: “We have set an alarm, we have not had an intrusion for years”.

There are still elements that we would think safe: a large wooden clock, a beautiful wooden pulpit also, some hanging paintings (including Alphonse Colas).

500,000 euros to put the organ back into service

The organ has been dismantled, its pipes are in the tower and its case under a sarcophagus. However, it has a great interest: work of Pierre-Alexandre Ducroquet, it obtained a gold medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1855. “To put it back into service, it would take € 500,000”, points out Bastien Gobert.

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What surprises are the large white curtains placed everywhere, which conceal remarkable elements such as the stained glass windows (by Claudius Lavergne) and the confessionals. “The Gobelins salons have installed this decoration of hangings, perhaps to hide the old elements of the cult,” we are told.

The exorbitant cost of treating dry rot

If the church is not about to collapse, its condition is still worrying. Even the simple cleaning of the church is not an option, the security commission will not allow people to work there. Moreover, the building could not open during Heritage Days, as is sometimes the case with closed buildings.

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Why is this building no longer attractive? The first explanation is that before considering any new life, we must deal with a major structural problem of the building, attacked by dry rot, a terrible fungus that churches know well. And the amounts of treatment for this fungus are enormous: the cost is estimated today at 800,000, even 900,000 euros!

Examples of building conversions

However, the city of Roubaix has already had original and even unique experiences of “recycling buildings”, as Bastien Gobert reminds us: “We have built a museum in a swimming pool, and a place dedicated to the circular economy in a old convent! “

Today, the La Piscine museum is a model of its kind in terms of art and heritage reconversion. As for the Poor Clare convent, in one of the poorest districts of the city, it owes its salvation, after several failed projects, to the pioneers of the transitional occupation.

These examples could be inspiring for the Notre-Dame church. The most incredible projects, if not impossible to start with, often depend on a handful of people, on the will of a few. Will this be the case for the Notre-Dame church?

Because, what threatens a building the most is that we no longer care about it …

2 million euros?

Notre-Dame has therefore been on sale since 2013. It would undoubtedly be easier to shave it, a real estate developer would be interested in this location.

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But this is precisely what the town hall wants to avoid, especially since the building is listed as a Historic Monument. To sell, you have to estimate the value of the property. A puzzle when it comes to such an imposing building with a strong emotional value that a place of worship is.

“If we had to stick to the cost per m2 in this sector, with the surface of the building, we could give an estimate of around 2 million euros,” says Bastien Gobert. However, it is impossible to sell this property at this price, especially since this will be added to the anti-dry rot work.

So today, even if the sale seems very complicated, anything is possible. A transitional occupation could be a solution, but with a solid project, and a multi-party financial package. The town hall is ready to study serious issues.

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