Rebuilding of the Aiguille du Midi base station & its surroundings
Work has begun on the area around the Aiguille du Midi base station in preparation for its refurbishment. Normally to spend a holiday in Chamonix you would chose somewhere a little sunnier and less chilly than the Grépon, which sits for most of the day in the cool shadow of the peak at the summit of the cable-car.
For now the only visible part of the development is the works & service block, over the far side of the road, which is virtually finished. For the remainder the preparatory work will start this autumn and the construction in the spring. The archictects think that the only part of the existing base-station of the famous cable-car will be the initial framework. The new building will include a brasserie, the current Blanchot restaurant will be demolished, a souvenir shop and the ticket-desks. The end of the works will be for 2009/10, in the meantime the operation of the cable-car will be maintained.
However, this refurbishment is being given an urban development feel by the further building of three more entities. On the left an MGM holiday residence, starting in the spring. To the right: a three-star hotel from the Latitudes (Pierre & Vacances) Group, with whom the president of the CdMB, Jean-Marc Simon, is on friendly terms. The third building will be 30 council-flats under the cables. None of the above could really be described as luxury, Jet-set be warned!
The CdMB will be investing €5,6M in the project which will start in earnest in the spring.
