A few years ago, ambitious plans to rebuild Fontvieille Shopping Center were first announced. Initial projects included major commercial, urban and environmental planning. However, plans have changed and the project is now said to be more of a makeover than a major renovation. The world is changing, and so is the way we shop. Online shopping and budget concerns led to changes to Fontvieille Shopping Center’s ambitious original plans.
At the budget session in December 2023, Minister of State Pierre Dartout announced the latest plans for the Fontvielle Shopping Center. According to revised construction plans, the revamped shopping center would house 36 stores instead of the current 18 (less than half of the 80 originally proposed).
Six years ago, the plan was to build a complex with 30,000 square meters of commercial space, two hectares of green space, a large cinema complex and 40 state-run apartments, with a budget of 300 million euros. Now the plans are more modest and the budget much smaller.
Fifty years ago, Fontvieille was just a little rolling sand and rock. Into the sea. Fontvieille was originally built almost entirely on artificially reclaimed land to address land scarcity in the densely populated principality. Work to create a new land from the Mediterranean he began in 1966. In 1981, Prince Albert II laid the foundations for a new district. Today, Fontvieille is a vibrant place with residential areas, a marina, the Louis II Stadium, and a shopping center in need of updating.
The center is ideally located in the heart of the economic district, close to the Port of Fontvieille, in the shadow of the Rock of Monaco and close to many cultural spaces. Because of its prime location, national council members expect plans for the new shopping center to include more shops and restaurants, green space and a state-of-the-art movie theater.
