To be built on the site of the former bishopric: the Mama Shelter hotel-restaurant project takes a major step forward in Toulon

Crazy musical evenings in the patio of the former bishopric, rooms with a naughty spirit overlooking the Cours Lafayette, chic and relaxed decor that's highly Instagrammable in the heart of downtown Toulon... The arrival of a Mama Shelter on the edge of the harbor is no longer quite science fiction. Announced last March, the installation of the trendy hotel brand in the heart of the capital of the Var , planned for January 2028, reached a new milestone yesterday.

The municipal council voted to declassify the three-century-old building located at the corner of the Provençal market and Place Paul Comte from the municipal public domain, as well as the adjoining Castel Chabre wasteland, which has been abandoned for eleven years. The assembly also approved the sale of the property complex to the VAD mixed-economy company for €2.5 million. The developer will be responsible for carrying out the initial rehabilitation work on the site before marketing it.

A left-wing rally in front of the town hall

Is everyone happy? Not really. Just before the elected officials' meeting, the left-wing opposition group Toulon en commun had mobilized its activists in front of the town hall to express its disapproval of the project. "This is an emblematic place in Toulon life," declared elected official Magali Brunel. "Yet the city is selling it off to the highest bidder. We are asking that this operation be reconsidered."

The declared candidate for the municipal elections recalled that her team would have preferred to see the creation of "a hub for intercultural meetings" at this location, also known as "a cultural and social place" . And she asked: "Does the hotel capacity in Toulon really require the creation of more beds?"

The National Rally also launched its diatribe against the arrival of the chain present in the four corners of the world, founded by Serge Trigano. "One of the last places of our medieval heritage still in our possession will be sold without any prior study, other than that determining the price of real estate, having been carried out," regretted Amaury Navarranne. "We view the restoration of the episcopal palace very favorably, not the fact of selling it."

Not to be outdone, the opposition group (centre) led by former Macronist MP Cécile Muschotti put on the table "the question of consultation and citizen participation" . The municipal councillor explained that, in her opinion, the best solution would have been "to listen and take the time before making such a decision."

These interventions did not unduly move Mayor Josée Massi, who defended a "job-generating" project. Her first deputy, Robert Cavanna, for his part stated the objective of "strengthening the attractiveness of the city center" that the future 105-room hotel, its bar and its restaurant should generate. Not to mention the "420 m² of specialized decoration store" planned to be built nearby.

Design Parade Moved to Porte d'Italie?

The next steps now are the launch of the construction site, which includes delicate phases of decontamination, strengthening, and cleaning, which is expected to cost VAD three million euros. The development of the site could then represent an investment of more than ten million euros in work, " under the supervision of the architect of French buildings."

As for the Design Parade, whose exhibitions had taken over the site listed as a Historic Monument following the Friends of Old Toulon Museum, it should soon find a new home. "We offered them the Porte d'Italie," recalled Mayor Josée Massi. She was keen to add another layer to the theme, for the attention of her opponents: "Toulon fully asserts its cultural role. We increased our subsidies this year. We have accommodated associations. Frankly, there are other battles to be fought..."