The Barrou sports hall in Sète closed, sports clubs looking for a new location one month before the start of the school year

Les travaux dans la halle des sports Louis Marty ont débuté le mercredi 24 juillet – GUILLAUME CROS

Deux salles du complexe sportif du Barrou sont fermées pour cause de travaux d’ici à décembre 2025. Les clubs sportifs doivent partir, ainsi que leurs adhérents, vers d’autres gymnases déjà victimes d’un trop-plein.

The future of around fifteen sports clubs in Sète remains unclear, almost a month before the resumption. Major works have begun at the Louis-Marty sports hall, located at the Barrou sports complex. A project financed by the City, it should last 16 months, until December 2025. It involves doubling the number of seats in the stands, from 800 to 1,600, and transforming the sports complex into a “small arena”, according to the words of Mayor François Commeinhes. Shows, concerts, and theatrical performances will be welcome, in addition to matches.

Works raise questions

On Friday July 26, a first step will be taken, that of the demolition of the interior of the hall. Reconstruction and expansion will follow. But, a question remains. Where the local sportspeople go to train? The sports hall is host to numerous sports associations. The adjoining Dumoulin room, which will also be redeveloped, hosts yoga and dance sessions, etc.

School establishments such as Jean-Moulin College are affiliated year-round… And the volleyball club l’Arago ? A true institution in Sète, players from the training center like professional volleyball players train there during the week and perform in the championship on the weekend.

Associative migrations

How to solve this organizational puzzle ? « It’s like you had to find the’ rsquo;equivalent of two rooms », explains the elected official for sport from Sète, Hervé Marquès. The registrants plan to be distributed to other gymnasiums in Sète. Problem is, they all face a surplus of members. « Sport is in good health, we are rather seeing increasing demands for slots », recognizes Hervé Marquès .

The rooms are full and to compensate for this, a « Tetris schedule » is working. « We are trying to find the best in splitting », according to the deputy mayor. To simplify, the Sète gymnasiums Maurice-Vié, Juliot-Curie, Di Stephano, Maurice-Clavel or Vincent-Ferrari will welcome new registrants from September, but during reduced time slots. No further details for the moment on the new terms: « It’is still under discussion », underlines Hervé Marquès.

From school to professional sport

The main users concerned are the students. The Marty hall was occupied daily by the Jean Moulin middle school and the Charles de Gaulle high school. They will be relocated to the Maurice Vié gymnasium. As for the Arago volleyball club, the Vié gymnasium is already reserved for training. But the mystery remains for the matches.

In talks since May, the volleyball players do not yet know where they will face their rival teams. Sète, Béziers, Agde or Castelnau-le-Lez are in the good books. A response from the national volleyball league will help unblock the situation. « There will be a kind of vagrancy, but the supporters will not be left in disarray », would like to reassure Hervé Marquès, who hopes that the club will find an internal arrangement with its public.

A brief summary of the work

For nearly a year and a half, the Dumoulin hall and the sports hall will be closed to the public. However, access to the entire site remains possible. Indoor parking and parking lots are prohibited. Neighborhood issue, noise pollution is à plan for the morning. The development project, estimated at à 7.1 million euros, is made with the aim of creating around a hundred additional places, more modern changing rooms and a 300m2 terrace. The dimensions of the sports field are reviewed à the rise. Access to the reserved hall for athletes will also be put in place.

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