The high level of advance sales coincides with a construction phase in which the neighbourhood project is still being completed step by step. On the 17,500-square-metre site, four buildings are being constructed around a green central area featuring a public footpath. The Villa Matile will also be preserved; it is being refurbished and will continue to serve as a communal space.
Wide range of housing options in a tight market
The project in Beauregard-Dessus near Vauseyon comprises owner-occupied flats, rental flats, supported housing, affordable housing and housing options for people with disabilities. The City of Neuchâtel is managing the scheme as one of its major private housing developments. Depending on the source, the figure cited is either 162 or 163 flats. According to the marketing update in the report, there are 154 owner-occupied flats, of which 121 have already been sold. Around 35 flats are already occupied.
86 million Swiss francs for four buildings
A budget of 86 million Swiss francs has been allocated for the development. The buildings will feature timber façades and a use concept based on social diversity. A shop with a café, open to the public, is to be run by the Perce-Neige Foundation. It is intended to operate as a grocery shop during the day and as a community centre in the evenings. It is also of interest to local businesses that, according to the project details, 85 per cent of the construction contracts were awarded to firms from the canton of Neuchâtel.
District heating to be introduced later
The final flats are due to be occupied by December 2027. A further energy-related development will follow only after that. Connection to the neighbourhood’s district heating and cooling network is planned for the early 2030s. Beauregard thus remains an example of how a residential development can perform strongly right from the marketing stage, whilst key elements relating to usage and energy supply are implemented at a later stage.
