The years go by and, with them, the rains, the cold, the wind which, little by little, nibble at the buildings of the Sadi-Carnot estate in Écuelles, municipality of Moret-Loing-et-Orvanne.
Who will save this 80 hectare estate and its derelict manor, a green paradise bordered by a large pond?
The purchase of the site for 1.3 million euros, five years ago, by Honglin Cong, Chinese president of the New Silk Road Company, based in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), had given hope of a future to these places which had ended up falling into the purse of the Land Development and Rural Establishment Company (Safer), responsible for the sustainable development of rural areas.
Tens of thousands of euros have not been paid
It was only a flash in the pan.
After renovating the caretaker's house and barn, the miraculous savior vanished without paying the tens of thousands of euros he owed local businesses.
Forcing the Safer to try once again to find a solution, via a buyout, to save this place tossed about between a thousand projects that never saw the light of day.
Écuelles, April 2016. Adrian Au, vice-president of New Silk Road, with Patrick Septiers, then president of the community of communes. At the time, confidence was in order. LP / F.LÉ.
In 1998, EDF sold the premises to the District of the region of Moret-sur-Loing (which in 2002 became the community of municipalities of Moret Seine and Loing).
At the time, its president, Patrick Septiers (UDF at the time, now UDI), announced a reception center for schools in the area, trails for the general public and the establishment of a succession. hydraulic works renovation projects.
Recalling that in the past there was a skin tanning business and an eel farm here.
If the House of the Environment was born, the other works, estimated between 7 and 10 million euros, sounded the death knell of the inter-municipal wishes.
Rumor has it that a major producer will set up high-end recording studios there for musicians.
Houses on stilts and a spa were considered
It was the New Silk Road Company Limited that was finally willing to invest 20 million euros, to convert the mansion into a luxury hotel and the former Maison de l'Environnement into an ecological restaurant. Wooden houses on stilts or in trees, with overnight accommodation at a more affordable price, were to be built on the property. A spa facing the pond was also being considered. Finally, a hiking trail had to be created to allow everyone to cross these magical places.
But everything stopped three years ago, during the repair of the roof of the manor, now poorly protected from bad weather by tarpaulins.
Despite everything, Safer wants to believe in the good faith of the president of the New Silk Road Company.
"He underestimated French legislation in terms of environmental and hydrological impact," says Jean-Baptiste Schweiger, the land director of the Safer IDF.
There were also diplomatic difficulties in getting money out of China.
The new Chinese regulations, which curb Chinese investment abroad, would have brought the project to a halt.
Écuelles, June 2018. This magnificent building is eaten away by humidity.
LP / F.LÉ.
However, the Safer made the completion of the roof covering a prerequisite for the takeover. “The area is deteriorating, so we want to go fast. We must get out of it before it becomes catastrophic, slips the land director of the Safer IDF. We made an on-site visit to estimate the damage. No one is happy to see this place in this state ”.
We must also investigate to find out who owes what to whom, while it is difficult to contact the current owners, who are divided between China and Dubai.
“There are a lot of intermediaries,” regrets Jean-Baptiste Schweiger.
And a simple letterbox, rue Saint-Honoré in Paris, as the headquarters for the French subsidiary.
Hugues Rondeau, former mayor (UDI) of Bussy-Saint-Georges, served as an intermediary with Chinese investors.
He did not respond to our requests.
"A heartbreak to see this place rot"
We must also find a project leader to give new impetus to this area. "We will see with the local elected officials what they can accept", assures the director of land. “I haven't heard of any projects. Let those who have come to see me, ”says Patrick Septiers, still president of the community of communes. "It is private property", defends the man who has since become president of the department and one of the levers for making Seine-et-Marne more attractive is the development of green tourism.
His successors since last June at the town hall of Moret-Loing and Orvanne, of which Écuelles is a part, have already imagined a future for the estate and asked an assistant to work on concrete perspectives. “It is heartbreaking to see this place rot, saddens Jean-Philippe Fontugne, the deputy mayor (DVG) of Écuelles. We want to promote organic farming and this site is interesting for that. "