Paris---French authorities gave the go-ahead Friday to renovate the iconic former Parisian department store La Samaritaine on the River Seine, ending years of legal wrangling over the historic site.
Perched on the right bank of the Seine, the hulking store occupies some of the most expensive real estate in Paris but was shut down in 2005 when it ran afoul of health and safety regulations.
Efforts to redevelop the site have hit several snags, notably over plans by Japanese architecture firm Sanaa to build a massive undulating glass facade over a part of the building, which is now owned by luxury brands company LVMH.
But on Friday the State Council, France's highest legal body, gave a green light to the renovation project, saying it "did not break" local planning regulations.
LVMH -- which owns brands such as Louis Vuitton -- plans to turn the complex, including the main building and three adjacent properties, into a five-star hotel, offices, shops and flats at a cost of some 460 million euros ($520 million).
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo welcomed the decision, saying it would create 4,400 jobs.
"By 2018, all Parisians and visitors will be able to visit this new exceptional site, which will contain shops, a hotel, low-cost housing, a creche and offices," said Hidalgo in a statement.
Critics complained the design would be an eyesore, ruining the glorious banks of the River Seine, and heritage groups filed a complaint over the design plans.
In May 2014 a court cancelled one of the renovation permits, saying the glass wall "clashed" with the look of the other buildings in the area.
The administrative appeals court then upheld the cancellation of the permit, saying the new building "did not comply with the obligation to fit the planned construction into its urban surroundings."
AFP
