Patience is the virtue of the strong, says the proverb. And patience (and perseverance) was indeed needed to overcome the puzzle that Villa Luna represented for so many years.
Abandoned for nearly 20 years in a deplorable state by its successive owners due to inability to sell, and squatted for some time, this villa, built at the beginning of the 20th century in a pleasing architectural style, became the subject of a lengthy dispute between the municipality and a wealthy, mysterious lady from the Gulf countries.
It was finally made available to the City of Nice under the terms of the POS/PLU after legal procedures, the details of which we will omit because they are of no interest in the current situation.
A happy conclusion desired by the residents of the Californie-Carras-Saint-Hรฉlรจne neighborhoods, who lamented the existence of this wasteland amid other buildings, ideally located across from the Promenade des Anglais.
The past being the past, what will be the future of Villa Luna?
A confirmation: this three-story building, with each floor measuring 180 m2, a basement, a ground floor, and an upstairs, will remain in the public domain.
After significant renovation work, it will become the local hub that neighborhood residents have been requesting for several years.
Administrative services will find a place there, as well as rooms for meetings or other community activities, along with a municipal service for early childhood.
The small garden surrounding the villa will also be developed for a variety of uses.
In short, everyone will benefit.
The work will commence without further delay… in fact, we’ve already lost more than enough time!, with completion expected by the end of 2017 and a cost of 2.5 million euros.
Christian Estrosi did not hide his satisfaction with the resolution of this matter, whose complexity reached undeserved proportions: after all, a villa is just a villa!
For him: “The renovation of this emblematic villa on the Promenade des Anglais is one of my priorities. It aligns with my commitment to restore our architectural heritage, to offer ever more public services by supporting community activity and family services, and also to be in harmony with the Unesco World Heritage listing of the Promenade des Anglais.”
