The decline in new home-building in the Principality was very marked in 2017, with only 15 new homes delivered during the year, mainly two-room apartments, according to IMSEE, the Monaco statistical service.
No new building programme had been started in 2016. Off-plan sales in the Stella and Villa Trianon(ex 45 rue Grimaldi) largely supported the real estate market, which declined by 49.5 percent in terms of sales transactions during the year.
In previous years, the Blue Bird, Little Africa and Odeon Tower developments consisted of large and very luxurious units.
The real estate resale market also fell markedly in terms of sales, with a 17.2 percent decrease in the amount of resales. The price per square metre decreased only marginally, by 0.2 percent, and the average price per unit rose by 6 percent.
The heiress born in New Orleans’ French Quarter in 1857 who married the Sovereign of Monaco, Prince Albert I, will be remembered next month when Prince Albert visits the Big Easy to unveil a plaque at the site of her birthplace – appropriately, on Royal Street.
In 1889, Marie Alice Heine wed Prince Albert I in Paris becoming HSH Princess Alice of Monaco. She was his second wife.
The announcement of Prince Albert’s visit was made on Wednesday, February 21, by Monaco’s Ambassador to the US, Maguy Maccario Doyle, as she gave details of Monaco Takes New Orleans, a week-long series of events currently underway through February 25 to mark the deep ties between the Principality and New Orleans, and as a birthday “gift” to the city.
“To celebrate our historic and cultural bonds on this momentous anniversary, I am delighted to announce that our Sovereign, HSH Prince Albert II, will be coming next month to New Orleans to unveil a plaque commemorating the birthplace of Alice, Princess of Monaco, who was the wife of his great-great-grandfather, Prince Albert I,” said Ambassador Doyle.
“In preparation for this official visit, we will showcase the artistic and cultural heritage of Monaco, as well as its culinary flavours, and I’m delighted to welcome back, for the first time in a decade, the talented troupe of Les Ballets de Monte Carlo. It’s an extra special honour for Monaco to be one of the first countries to pay tribute to the enduring appeal of the Crescent City on its 300th birthday,” she said.
New Orleans Mayor Mitchell Landrieu stated, “We are thrilled to have the Principality of Monaco participating in the New Orleans Tricentennial,” said. “As we celebrate 300 years of New Orleans, we will be remembering the cultural ties between our City and Monaco.”
Mayor Landrieu headed a delegate that visited Monaco on November 29 and 30, which included meetings with senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Monaco Economic Board, as well as a lunch at the Palace in the presence of Prince Albert.
Anke Schaffelhuber. Photo: Facebook Schaffelhuber Communications
Monaco’s public relations for recreational and business tourism in the Nordic countries has been awarded to Munich-based Schaffelhuber Communications, which specialises in sustainable and up-market tourism.
The agency will act as a media office on behalf of the Monaco Government and Tourist Authority in Sweden, Denmark and Norway, working under the lead of Grifco Public Relations, based in London.
“The Principality of Monaco is a must-see on the Côte d’Azur and we are proud to represent this glamorous destination on the Scandinavian market,” said the agency’s managing owner, Anke Schaffelhuber.
“With Monaco’s vast number of museums, galleries, opera, casinos and the sophisticated culinary sides, we are sure to create wonderful stories in the future together.”
The principality also offers “vast possibilities for agencies in the field of MICE business, event planners and conference organisations”,” she said.
One of the agency’s chief tasks will be to increase Monaco’s visibility as a destination in Sweden, Denmark and Norway.
On Tuesday, the shop at the Oceanographic Museum, whose patron is Princess Stephanie, joined the Government’s “Responsible Trade” (Commerce Engagé) programme, one of the first operations to do so.
Obtaining this label testifies to the eco-responsible approach of the store and its commitment to a more sustainable mode of consumption. Among the measures adopted have been using recyclable paper bags and special LED lighting, training of the shop staff in pre-sorting materials before disposal, ordering eco-labelled and water-soluble cleaning products, and cleaning teams rigorously trained with the use of micro-filters to lower the level of water consumption.
Additionally, they have joined SMEG’s “Egeo” green electricity programme certifying that the equivalent of the shop’s consumption was produced from green energy.
Robert Calcagno, the Museum’s director, said, “Through this label, we demonstrate our commitment and our responsibility, both ecological and social, and we assign ourselves the task of going further in our approach, which we expect to improve over the next few years.”
This improvement will be made easier thanks to a free and tailor-made support program provided by the label, which is helping create Responsible Trade throughout France and Monaco.
The Museum shop has also announced the launch of new environmentally-friendly products to add to its existing ranges, including organic cotton bags, notebooks made from recycled paper and plates and cups made in bamboo, a plant that requires less water than a tree and does not require pesticides or chemicals to encourage its ripening process.
Paris Saint-Germain will now have to pay €188 million to AS Monaco for Kylian Mbappe to be transferred permanently, after a clause in the original loan/purchase deal was triggered at the weekend.
The Paris club became mathematically safe from relegation with a 5-2 victory over Strasbourg, cementing the leaders safely 12 points ahead of number-two Monaco in France’s Ligue 1. In the very unlikely event of PSG being relegated they would not have had to pay a penny for the striker.
With only 12 games left to play this season it appears more than likely that PSG will top the league again this year.
Mbappe has scored 15 goals in 32 appearances in all competitions, with a further 14 assists. Mbappe’s transfer will be the second-most expensive in football history.
