Parc des Aiguilles, a national showcase for sustainable urban logistics

Three "Invest in Provence" labels were awarded as part of the Regional Commitments Charter signing ceremony

On September 16, 2022, nearly 300 people from the banking, planning, transportation, logistics, local government and employment sectors converged on the Parc des Aiguilles, a 150-acre site just 15 minutes from downtown Marseille that is being developed to become a regional urban logistics center. The guests came to witness the signing of a Regional Commitments Charter and a symbolic planting of the first olive tree in the business park.

Jean-Luc Chauvin, President of the Aix-Marseille-Provence Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Vice-President of Provence Promotion, awarded two "Invest in Provence" labels to Decathlon and Action for their decision to open facilities in the Aix-Marseille metropolis. In addition, a trophy was presented to the Barjane Group in recognition of its €200 million investment in this completely renovated site.

The Provence-based Barjane Group, a specialist in building logistics parks with 15 years of experience, chose a complex plot on the edge of Marseille bordered by the A55 freeway for its latest development project.

Parc des Aiguilles, which is currently under construction, will cover 150 acres and comprise 2.2 million square feet of buildings organized into a dozen logistics warehouses designed for last-mile delivery. "We have been cleaning up the site for two years thanks to a €600,000 contribution from the ADEME brownfields fund. The land was previously occupied by an old backfilled quarry and an incinerator. We had to treat nearly 2 million cubic feet of waste – 530,000 in surface waste and 1.4 million in buried waste", notes Léo Barlatier. On September 16, 2022, the co-founder and President of Barjane, along with his sister Julie, convened all the project stakeholders, including Action and Decathlon, future tenants and local authorities to sign a Regional Commitments Charter relating to this sustainable logistics initiative.

Provence Promotion awarded labels to the Barjane Group for its €200 million investment and to the hard-discount chain and sporting goods retailer, just as they are preparing to move in to the first warehouses. "This partnership propels us to the highest environmental standards, strengthens our roots in the area and creates local jobs. The park will become a national showcase for sustainable logistics and will add to the region's appeal with the presence of two of France's favorite brands", said Yannick Carrere, Logistics Director at Action France. Provence Promotion helped the two groups in their search for a region.

388,000 and 474,000 sq.ft. for Decathlon and Action

"Our 388,000 square-foot building will be equipped with solar panels. It has a wooden frame and features heat pumps. The site will include charging stations for electric vehicles", explains Ludovic Waterlot, Director of the Decathlon logistics platform. When the building opens in November, 150 people will be transferred from the Bouc-Bel Air site with the aim of doubling the workforce by recruiting from the local labor pool.

Action will see a similar increase in activity as it continues its rapid growth with 25 stores in the PACA region, including 10 in Bouches-du-Rhône. "We will start with 150 employees, then get to 250 in 2023. We plan to have a staff of 400 in the long term", says Frédéric Pasqual, CEO of Géodis France, Action's logistics provider. Action will take possession of its 474,000 sq.ft. of logistics warehouses on November 10. To facilitate vehicle traffic, Barjane and the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis are co-financing the construction of an interchange that connects directly to the A55 freeway.

Jean-Luc Chauvin, President of the Aix-Marseille-Provence Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Vice-President of Provence Promotion, awarded an "Invest in Provence" label to Ludovic Watterlot and Christophe Banderet, respectively Manager and Logistics Director of Décathlon, and to Wouter de Backer and Yannick Carrere, respectively CEO and Logistics Director of Action France, for their decisions to invest in the region.