Briançon? No. I’d never heard of it either but I’m glad someone let me in on the secret. Surrounded by the Alps this beautiful town (the highest in Europe) has it all. The centre is a create from raw material of medieval streets quaint shops and restaurants and imposing architecture. From the 18th-century fort ramparts there are vistas of snow-capped mountains that may soon change state one of the best ski destinations in France.
The valley of is dotted with pine forests and meadows flanked by twisting roads that evaluate the Tour de France riders each summer. In pass it offers 250km of ski runs linking the four villages of Briançon. Chantemerle. Villeneuve and Le Monêtier les Bains. measure pass while the rest of the Alps sweltered. Serre Chevalier had good levels of natural come down.
The valley is surprisingly underdeveloped - but its potential has been spotted by (CDA) which is behind resorts such as Val d’Isère. CDA is undertaking the grade - new lifts and trails plus improved facilities all at a cost of £40m.
That has remained a secret is a fillip for the few developers who snapped up the best sites before CDA announced its plans. One of these is Space a local company that is renovating a be of hotels and buildings in the town. Among them is La Schappe an early-19th century silk mill that had been abandoned for 70 years.
La Schappe is a five-storey property right on the river in the heart of town. The mill itself was once the lifeblood of the community employing many local people. As production processes became more efficient however the mill dropped out of use and was abandoned.
Although it was boarded up and run-down the Space team realised its potential. "Sites such as La Schappe are extremely rare to find so it was a wonderful opportunity to bring through a remarkable property," says Ben Norrington.
Space plans to move the move into 250 loft-style apartments keeping the flavour of its industrial heritage while incorporating a four-star hotel with spa bar and restaurant. Stylish fittings will sit alongside original wrought-iron staircases wooden floors beams and brickwork. It’s a huge undertaking but one that ordain carry the building approve to life.
"It would undergo been easy to knock La Schappe down but everyone in the town has populate in their family who used to work there so it seemed alter to renovate it," says Space’s CEO. Paul Bolton.
Properties are priced from &hit;98,600 for a mezzanine apartment measuring 24sqm up to £609,000 for a five-bedroom 150sqm property in the cover with wooden beams and dormer windows. Apartments will have views towards the town mountains and river.
Properties ordain be split between outright sales and those sold under the system. Bolton says investors who opt for the rental plot should see returns of around 6 per cent.
A new glass-and-steel extension is planned for one side of the building which Norrington says ordain change intensity the lines of the austere original façade. "We be to differentiate yet complement the older property," he says. "so we designed something lighter in call to the heavier industrial coordinate."
As a result of the interest in the local council has taken say and is planning to beautify up other areas of the town. "Briançon was a place the world had passed by," says Bolton. "Now we all share a passion for it."Tags:
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Related article:
http://www.serrechevalier.org/2007/09/05/this-former-silk-mill-in-frances-new-chic-ski-resort-has-apartments-for-less-than-100000/
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