LA Samaritaine - Great Views - Open Yet???

the Cafe on the Ninth floor at La Samaritaine has wonderful views. However, I understand it has closed for refurbishments.

Does anyone know when it will be open again??

Thanks Joyce

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Doris, unfortunately La Samaritaine isn%26#39;t going to reopen. Last I understood, it will be refurbished in to some offices and some affordable housing units.

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It%26#39;s not going to reopen as a department store. Last news: on April 9th, the city council approved plans from owner groupe LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) to use the buildings for a hotel (14,000 m2), offices (21,000 m2), shops (23,000 m2), a child care centre and social housing (7000 m2).

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When I walked by this past Jan/Feb it is still closed. I have heard that it was closed down because of the unions that were there. I am inclined to believe it because on the ground floor they have some shops and you can see lights on a couple of the upper floors. If it was a hazard as has been stated why on earth would they let some shops go in there. I have also heard that a hotel was planned, but the idea was dropped after they did not get the Olympics. So all we can do is wait and see

Pat

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I feel really lucky that we got to have lunch up in the open air cafe once. It was an unforgettable experience. So sad to see it just sitting empty.

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I know... at lease I got to see the view once.

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My wife and I walked by there in early March, the building looked abandoned in a very sad way. I%26#39;ve heard about plans to reopen as a hotel, but if they%26#39;ve been dropped due to losing the Olympics, that%26#39;s too bad. I hope the building isn%26#39;t allowed to deteriorate further.

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I don%26#39;t think the Paris bid on the Olympics has had any influence on the project - after all, La Samaritaine was closed on 15 June 2005, and on 6 July 2005 it was already clear that London and not Paris would host the Olympics. The idea to convert the building into a hotel and offices is much more recent.

A month ago (10 April 2009), the city council approved the LVMH plans to convert it into a hotel, (food) shops, offices, child care centre and social housing.

The project is now scheduled to re-open in 2013. The renovations will cost 400 million euro and will take 2 years. Before that, there is still a 9 month public enquiry, and there%26#39;s also the Cognacq-Jay foundation who owns 40.6% of the building and opposes the plans.

Le Figaro (in French): lefigaro.fr/societes/2009/04/10/04015-200904…