Keolis Calvados, a private supplier of public transport, better known throughout Calvados under the name of Bus Verts, has recently moved to new premises, purchased and developed by the British investment company, Proudreed. The move has reunited both its vehicles and its employees, who previously occupied two sites.

A new business park in Mondeville

A new business park in Mondeville
Of the 45,000m2 purchased by Proudreed, the remaining 10,000m2 will be devoted to business premises, built and rented by Proudreed. The park comprises two buildings of a gross floor area of 4,496m2, along with a 54-space car park. Eighty per cent of the surface is devoted to activity and 20% to administration. Building 1 is divided into 5 plots and building 2 into 4 plots. Each plot comprises a ground-floor activity area and a mezzanine office platform. Two show units will be completely equipped (both office and activity areas). The other units will be left completely empty, with neither distinct offices nor partitions, in order for their future users to fully adapt them to suit their specific needs. Businesses may exclusively rent activity areas (without creating offices), however they must abide by the original layout.
M by Proudreed
Created in Paris in 1999, Proudreed is a private British investment fund, specialising in business property. It is currently developing business parks in a number of French conurbations under the name “M by Proudreed”. Proudreed’s premises are suitable for service providers of all sizes. The company’s particularity: It remains both owner and manager of its premises. Proudreed currently owns 16 business parks throughout France.

Keolis Calvados, hitherto dispersed between two sites (Caen and Mondeville), moved last February to reunite its resources within a unique site in Mondeville. The official inauguration took place on the 17th of April “It’s a major project for the company,” explains Thierry Ravet, the site’s manager. Via a public service delegation, Keolis Calvados will be continuing its public bus service for the department of Calvados until 2013. This major project, launched in 2004 by Christian Bouyer the site’s former manager, should enable the company to economise whilst improving working conditions for its employees. “Our former premises were, indeed, somewhat outdated,” acknowledges Thierry Ravet. “And working from two distinct sites proved to be costly.” Several workshops looked after standard maintenance, however the main workshop was in Mondeville. “Buses from Rue de Tourville in Caen requiring major repair work consequently had to be taken there.” Convincing claims to which a patent reality can be added: the two former coach parks were too small and could no longer accommodate the company’s fleet. “We had resorted to renting parking spaces from the Caen town council or from private companies.” One of many problems which the recent move has finally solved.

A 35,000 m2 plot

In 2004, a feasibility study conducted by Normandie Aménagement estimated Keolis Calvados’ needs at 35,000m2. “And finding such a vast plot within the conurbation is not a simple affair,” explains Pascal Mérat, in charge of the project for Synergia. However, a solution was indeed found in the form of a publicly owned plot in Mondeville, standing alongside two private plots, and put forward by Jean-Michel Gasnier, at the time the town’s Mayor. The British property developer, Proudreed, purchased the 45,000m2 plot in 2007. Keolis Calvados then had its tailor-made premises built over a total surface area of 35,000m2, at a cost of 6.5 million Euros assumed by Proudreed, which in turn will rent the premises to Keolis. Construction began early 2008, together with the development of parking facilities for 173 coaches and 161 cars. “We deliberately separated the two parking zones for security reasons,” explains Thierry Ravet. As for the administrative buildings, 1,500m2 of office space are split on two levels, standing alongside the 2,800m2 workshop.
And Keolis Calvados is taking advantage of this move to honourably support sustainable development. “We are recycling the water used to clean coaches and are using roof rain water to supply our sanitary facilities.” The lights throughout the shared areas are equipped with presence detectors. “However, high costs prevented us from adopting all of our energy economy-associated projects. For example, we would have liked to install solar panels on the roof.” In a few years time perhaps…

Pascal Mérat
Synergia, Caen la mer’s economic development agency
Tél. : 02 31 46 73 79

Thierry Ravet
Manager of the Keolis site in Caen
Tél. : 02 31 35 59 00
Site : Keolis

Frédéric Meriguet
Proudreed,  Agence Ouest Technoparc de l’Aubinière
2 Avenue des Améthystes - BP 13813 - 44338 Nantes
Tél. : 02.72.68.10.72 ou 06.78.40.17.12

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