Hi. I'm no pro of the sector at all, but generally speaking, the local environment seems rather favorable to development, simply because it meets pretty all circumstances / requirements to be so. Especially housing shortage. Central Paris recently hit an average of €10k per square meter, something like US$ 1,000 per square foot, so yes, I assume you could find interesting opportunities in related businesses locally.
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Originally Posted by TylerJ
- What are some of the coolest and/or largest projects going on right now?
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Within the inner city, I would say Paris-Rive-Gauche (a large bit of the 13th arronidissement) and Clichy-Batignolles (17th) have been the largest master plans currently implemented. These are called "eco-friendly" developments, that means they are designed to comply with local environmental regulations.
You'll find some bits of info in these threads.
Rive-Gauche :
http://www.pss-archi.eu/forum/viewto...738837#p738837
Clichy-Batignolles :
http://www.pss-archi.eu/forum/viewto...736884#p736884
These larger are designed in a contemporary fashion. There is some good, some average and some not so good. Overall, they feel quite friendly and urban, thus fairly satisfying.
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Originally Posted by TylerJ
- When something is proposed, how likely is it to happen (relative to large US cities)? One example I saw is Hermitage Plaza. If something had been approved that long ago in Chicago it would 100% be dead, whereas I saw articles from a few years ago that talked about it still.
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This project may have unleashed the dumbest passions because it is really tall and would dominate the skyline of the west side of the metro area.
We don't know whether it'll actually be built or not. There's something sure, the developer in charge of it already spent some €200 million in it, so he is unlikely to give up.
That's a very symbolic project, still a single one. It's actually good to have it so the enraged NIMBYs are kept focused on that one thing, then other high-rise projects go more unnoticed and go through regulations more easily.
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Originally Posted by TylerJ
- Who are the biggest name developers there? Are there any major differences between developing there versus the US?
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Vinci and Bouygues, some of the biggest construction corporations in the world are also sizable developers.
Some banking companies such as BNP Paribas are widely involved as well.
There's a whole lot of them; the local market is very open to competition.
Some regulations may be demanding. Environmental ones in particular.
Some may be completely silly, like the fact that all bathrooms are supposed to accommodate the disabled, which is a waste of room to most people.
Other than that, it must roughly be similar to your country's market.
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Originally Posted by TylerJ
- Who are the largest property owners? Is it usually large companies or individuals?
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Some large companies AND ultra wealthy individuals own large properties here.
Municipalities that are in charge of their affordable housing policies can also own fairly large bits of properties for that purpose.
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Originally Posted by TylerJ
- How strict are the construction laws? What are some of the trickiest obstacles to construction? Nimbys, historic rules, environmental laws, approval processes, etc?
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Again, things have to be safe and more and more environmentally-friendly... That's about it, but of course, it actually means a whole lot of constraints.
You'd have to take a look at related regulations in detail to get a better accurate idea. If anything seemed nonsensical to you because of some laughable gross red tape or anything of that kind, keep in mind that the law may eventually be changed.
The current national administration is rather pro-business, trying to make entrepreneurs feel as comfortable as it reasonably is to the French population, so they can get their job done more effectively.
That's the kind of mindset that prevails for now.
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Originally Posted by TylerJ
- What areas of the metro area have the most development and/or brightest future for development?
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Definitely the inner suburbs, up to Seine-Saint-Denis where there are significant projects.
If you're really interested, you'll have to look for information way beyond these forums, especially regarding arrangements related to local regulations.
It'd be better if you got in touch with some professionals of your sector around here. You won't necessarily have to be fluent in French, since most of us can handle some English.
That's about it. Bon courage, mister.