On 13 November 2014, the French State (represented by the APIJ, Agence Publique pour l’Immobilier de la Justice or the public agency for justice real estate) entered into a public-private partnership contract for the rehabilitation of the La Santé prison in Paris.
The contract was signed with Quartier Santé, a special purpose vehicle incorporated by BAM General Partner Limited (3i group), GTM Bâtiment (Vinci group) and Gepsa (GDF Suez group). It covers the financing, design, rehabilitation and reconstruction works, as well as maintenance services and services for prison staff and prisoners. The contract was concluded for a 25-year term, and requires a 160-million euro investment.
The building covers 2.8 hectares of Paris’ 14th arrondissement, between the rue de la Santé, rue Messier, rue Jean Dolent and the boulevard Arago. Built in 1867, it could no longer welcome inmates in adequate conditions of safety and dignity.
This high-stakes operation (modernisation of detention conditions, development of programmes for the active reintegration of inmates, improvement of prison staff working conditions) will uphold the symbolic and heritage value that are specific to this building, and will ensure that the site will remain partially in operation throughout the duration of the works.
Gide advised Gepsa as prison operator, with partner Thomas Courtel, counsel Marie Bouvet-Guiramand, and associate Anne Framezelle.
JeantetAssociés advised the APIJ, with partner Philippe Malléa, and Marie Veyretout.
Allen & Overy advised Quartier Santé and its shareholders, with partners Romaric Lazerges and Rod Cork, and Antoine Coursaut-Durand, Arthur Sauzay, Florent Belin and Clément Saudo.
Dentons advised the lenders (Natixis, The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, LTD, and Mizuho Bank, LTD), with partners Jean-Marc Allix and Marc Fornacciari, and Justine Verrier, Bérénice Combette and David Kalfon.