Client story

JLL helps Pernod Ricard deliver an Eco-district in Paris

We were brought in by Pernod Ricard to advise on the creation of a mixed-use 60,000 sq. m eco-district in the centre of Créteil, a commune in the south-eastern suburbs of Paris.

Location

Crèteil, Paris

Size

60,000 sq m

Asset type

Retail Residential Office Space

Our ambition

With sustainability at the forefront of developer’s minds, Pernod Ricard, a French company that is known for the production alcoholic beverages, brought on JLL to advise on the creation of a mixed-use 60,000 sq m eco-district in the centre of Créteil, a commune in the south eastern suburbs of Paris.

How we achieved it

The land which the new development sits on was previously an unused brownfield site. For the new eco-district to come to life, it required JLL to work with Pernod Ricard and BDVA Architectes to secure planning permission for a change of use for the land. Due to the nature of the proposed development and the benefits that it brings to Créteil, such as generous public spaces, the renovation of existing outdated schools and gardens and the design that allows it to showcase its existing urban fabric, the site gained full planning permission.

The district, now named Néo-C, began construction in 2017, and now comprises 650 homes, retail space and student accommodation for the towns 30,000 students which. The site is cleverly designed to fit perfectly into the urban landscape and includes green-spaces throughout.

This new district is a 10-minute walk from the RER D Vert de Maisons station, from which you can reach Paris in 10 minutes. It reconnects the site of the former Pernod Ricard headquarters with the surrounding urban environment and has transformed the area, whilst taking the environment into consideration from the design phase through to how it functions today.

Pernod Ricard prides itself on its foundations, which includes having sustainability at the heart of the business. The Group’s founder, Paul Ricard, started the Paul Ricard Oceanographic Institute over 50 years ago, which is instrumental still in advancing ocean preservation. The company recently announced its 2030 Sustainability & Responsibility roadmap as part of the Group’s strategic plan Transform & Accelerate. This roadmap sets out 8 ambitious and concrete 2030 targets supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Since it was founded.

The results

This development allowed Pernod Ricard to continue with its CSR goals and had sustainability at its core from the outset. The design was recognised for this and managed to gain France’s first BiodiverCity certification for a neighbourhood at the design phase, which was awarded by the International Biodiversity and Real Estate Council (Cibi).

JLL guiding the redevelopment of this site to a successful conclusion using its RE-Generation solution, which included redevelopment studies, negotiating the change of use with local authorities, arranging a bidding process for developers and ensuring that it met all the obligations that were initially agreed.

Once the site reached completion in 2019, JLL managed the sale of the site. Pernod Ricard was therefore able to secure the maximum value for the disposal of the site whilst delivering a project that stays true to its roots as a business that has sustainability at its core.