Born in the 19th century following the construction of the Pont de Pierre and the Gare d'Orléans, this industrial area has all the attributes of a city centre, without its accessibility. A handicap partly redeemed by the arrival of the tramway, in December 2003. Spotlight on the right bank...

Encompassing neighbourhoods as diverse as Queyries, La Benauge, Galin-Thiers, Deschamps and Brazza, the area stretches from the Pont de Pierre to the Pont Saint-Emilion. In the 19th century, shipyards flourished here and economic activity was on the rise. Bordeaux didn’t wait long before taking the autonomous commune to its breast. In the year 2000, revitalization of La Bastide became one of the municipality’s priorities. On over 500 acres of land, the project calls for an open natural space surrounded by leisure centres and restaurants, enhancement of existing properties, densification of the free zone, public facilities, a university and housing. “Le Lion de Veilhan”, a bluish statue 8 metres long and 6 metres wide, installed in 2005 on Place Stalingrad, marks the area’s revival. Its development should continue with the creation of two more crossings of the Garonne and sealing off of the boulevards to the east.

“Attractively landscaped, the Queyries docks not only invite people to take walks or contemplate one of the loveliest panoramic views of the Prefecture of the Gironde, the Place de la Bourse and Place des Quinconces” comments Marie-France Pacreau. “The botanical gardens, the multiplex cinema and Le Millenium hosting the headquarters of the Banque Populaire and the offices of Sud-Ouest all rub shoulders with recent buildings signed Nexity George V, a development that could easily be offered at 2,700 €/m2. Less prestigious, La Benauge, with price-tags from 2,000 to 2,400 €/m2, is quiet and safe. Near the Pont Saint-Emilion, Galin Thiers posts lower prices due to its peripheral location. Deschamps is home to old factories, some still functioning. Marketed at 2,000-2,100 €/m2, this neighbourhood offers real long-term potential, as does Brazza, the free zone, where apartments currently cost 1,800 €/m2,” says the director of La Bourse de l’Immobilier. Families appreciate the convenient and peaceful setting. Parents of students house their offspring here before earning rental income from their investments. Buyers willing to pay 3,000 €/m2, the price demanded for new developments, are looking for tax benefits introduced by the Scellier Act.

Currently booming, the neighbourhood is creating an ever-increasing flow of movement. “People who have always lived on the Left Bank and younger workers no longer hesitate to make the leap,” says Philippe Muzellec of the Cabinet Elience. Stone houses from 55 to 150 m2, opening out to small gardens, range on the whole from 160,000 to 370,000 €. Apartments of character cost from 2,000 to 2,300 €/m2, while apartments built in the ’seventies remain under the bar of 2,000 €/m2. If there are a few exceptions at 250,000 €, the bulk of transactions revolve around 220,000 €. Investor interest is not systematically limited to new apartment blocks. The estate agent points to a number of small “échoppes” awaiting renovation and still financially appealing, as exemplified by one of 45 m2, which could be enlarged to 80 m2, further extended by a garden of 30 m2, and currently provisionally sold at 100,000 €. La Bastide contains affordable properties offering good value for money. As illustrated by another “échoppe” of 75 m2, already renovated and built around a patio, priced at 209,000 €. It’s clear that speculation is no longer on the cards.

“For many long decades, the river constituted a barrier to development in the area, especially since the only bridge dated back to 1822,” explains Michel Ballon of Foch Immobilier. “The tram link has speeded up the site’s redistribution, a real overspill neighbourhood providing a solution for saturation of the city centre and soaring prices.” The margin for progression is significant. Land capable of accommodating facilities, industries and housing is still available. But accessibility needs to be improved. Michel Ballon is looking forward to the construction of the Bacalan bridge, scheduled to begin this autumn for completion in 2012. Ten years are not enough to accommodate large-scale urban transformations. A whole generation will be necessary.