Constructed in the marshland area surrounded by greenhouses with a view of the sea, [Cap 3000](https://www.cap3000.com/) was inaugurated on October 21, 1969: it was the first shopping center in France.
After a change of ownership in 2010, the center will undergo significant transformation with a project of expansion and renovation that will turn it into a national and international reference.
By the end of the work, which will continue until 2018, its surface area will be increased by 50,000 m2 and visitors will rise from 10 to 14 million per year.
The project is ambitious and includes a total elimination of surface car parking (the parking will be underground) and a remodeling of the commercial part with an attractive aesthetic and, finally, the adoption of the most advanced environmental standards.
The number of shops will increase from 140 to 300, and the turnover will significantly increase from the current 400 million/year. In fact, 1,500 additional jobs are planned, adding to the existing 2,300.
Finally, the shopping center will orient towards the sea and the entire surrounding area will be redesigned to create a unique blend of commercial activity and living environment. The road infrastructure around the center will also be reviewed and adapted to new requirements.
Therefore, one can imagine the satisfaction of the authorities, led by Jacques Segura, the mayor of Saint Laurent du Var, for this realization with an investment amounting to €400M.
Of course, critics will not fail to support their thesis that this center adds construction upon construction, that two other shopping centers will be added to it in a few years (Le Polygone Riviera in Cagnes sur Mer, Nice One plus Ikea in the Eco-valley, which, if you consider Metro and Carrefour Lingostière, will increasingly have the characteristics of a “market valley,” instead of innovative companies and jobs for researchers and startups; we remain in the commercial sector with a demand for low education-level workforce…
But, in these times of economic gloom, who can turn up their nose?
We can understand the satisfaction of Alain Taravella, chairman of Altarea-Cogedim, the owner-developer of Cap 3000: He is not a local player, he is doing his job, and since the project is of high commercial quality, it will certainly be a success, and the financial returns will undoubtedly prove him right.
