Châteaufarine

Châteaufarine is the principal shopping centre of the Besançon agglomeration in eastern France and one of the largest in the country, with approximately 90 shops and restaurants including an Intermarché hypermarket and seven medium-sized stores. The site, originally farmland and meadows near the Planoise district, was transformed in 1970 when the Prabey farm was demolished to make way for a Mammouth hypermarket. After Casino acquired Cédis in 1985, the hypermarket was rebranded Géant Casino. The centre underwent major expansion and renovation in 2008–2009, reaching a surface area of 37,900 m² with 13,000 m² remodelled or newly created, and was later further refurbished in 2014. Today it is owned and managed by Mercialys, the commercial real estate subsidiary of Casino Group. The centre hosts a wide range of retail, dining, and service brands, including Histoire d'Or, Mango, and a pharmacy, and offers amenities such as tax-free shopping for Swiss residents. It remains a key retail destination for the Franche-Comté region.

The site of Châteaufarine was originally meadows and agricultural plots, similar to the nearby Planoise sector. In the late 1950s, Planoise was planned to become one of the largest priority urbanisation zones (ZUP) in France with 40,000 inhabitants, and the nearby Châteaufarine site was intended to host the city's shops close to this new population. Farms and meadows gave way to large retail surfaces, notably in 1970 with the Mammouth hypermarket. In 1970, the Prabey farm, one of the most important residences of the Planoise-Châteaufarine site, was demolished and replaced by a Mammouth hypermarket. After the Cédis group was acquired by Casino in 1985, the hypermarket changed its banner to Géant Casino a few months later. Cédis included about fifteen hypermarkets and supermarkets in the Bourgogne, Franche-Comté, and Champagne-Ardenne regions. In 2008–2009, the shopping centre underwent a major rehabilitation, reaching a surface area of 37,900 m² with 13,000 m² remodelled or newly created. Wi-Fi terminals, kiosks in the aisles, and more than 70 brands in food, personal equipment, home, personal care, leisure, and services were installed. The exterior entrances were renovated with references to wood and veined stone from Chailluz, and the parking area featured giant mailboxes, coloured wind turbines, and green-roofed bicycle shelters. The project won a trophy in the 'Ville et Avenir' category from the federation of real estate companies, competing with Les Quatre Temps in Paris and Leclerc Blagnac in Toulouse. In the early 2000s, the centre had about thirty shops in addition to the Géant Casino hypermarket. After the 2008–2009 expansion, it had more than 70 shops including the hypermarket and seven medium-sized stores. By 2017, following a 2014 refurbishment, the number reached 90. Today, the centre is an important site of Mercialys, the commercial real estate subsidiary of Casino Group, which owns and manages the site. The hypermarket anchor has since changed to Intermarché Hyper, and the centre is branded as La Galerie Châteaufarine.

• 2026

  Intermarché Hyper is the anchor; centre branded as La Galerie Châteaufarine.

• 2014

  Further refurbishment; number of shops reaches 90 by 2017.

• 2009

  Completion of renovation; centre wins 'Ville et Avenir' trophy.

• 2008

  Start of major expansion and renovation, reaching 37,900 m².

• 1985

  Casino acquires Cédis; hypermarket rebranded as Géant Casino.

• 1970

  Demolition of Prabey farm; construction of Mammouth hypermarket.

Regional shopping destination with a mix of hypermarket, specialty retail, dining, and services.

• Intermarché Hyper

  Hypermarket anchor store.

• Histoire d'Or

  Jewellery and watch store with over 6,000 products.

• Mango

  Fashion boutique.

• Pharmacie de la Galerie Chateaufarine

  Pharmacy relocated to a new modern space.

1. 1Centre commercial à Besançon - La Galerie Chateaufarinela-galerie.com
2. 2Magasin HISTOIRE D'OR à BESANÇONla-galerie.com
3. 3Châteaufarine (centre commercial) - Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org
4. 4Châteaufarine - Wikidatawikidata.org