Dunkirk’s new Port Center set to bring the public and port closer together

After almost two years in preparation, the Dunkirk Port Center opened its doors in July 2020, becoming an invaluable new resource for promoting dialogue between the public, the city, and the port. The new space was developed with support from three main partners: the Port Authority, the Urban Community and the Port Museum, where the Port Center is housed. In this interview, we find out more about the reasons behind the project and what visitors can expect in the months ahead. The Grand Port Maritime de Dunkerque has been an active member of AIVP since 1989. The Communauté Urbaine de Dunkerque and AGUR are also members. AIVP - Plans for a new Port Center in Dunkirk were announced in September 2018, backed by three main partners, the Port Authority, the Urban Community, and the Port Museum Association, ACMAPOR. Can you tell us more about the process, from its beginnings to the official opening just a few days ago? Delphine Taleux-Grisot, Director of the Port Museum and Port Center of Dunkirk – The Port Center was created with the support of its three founding members: Grand Port Maritime de Dunkerque (GPMD) represented by Stéphane Raison, Chairman of the Executive Board; the Urban Community of Dunkirk (CUD) represented by Patrice Vergriete, Mayor and Chairman; and the Port Museum (specifically the association ACMAPOR) represented its Chairman, Philippe Bertonèche. After several years under consideration, the launch of the Port Center project was announced in January 2018 and the Dunkirk Port Center association was set up in September 2018. The trigger was the public debate surrounding the port’s major "CAP 2020" development project, which took place in 2017. It served to highlight the distance between the port, its local territory and the population, a distance notably created when the port was closed for safety reasons and gradually shifted away from the city centre. Today, the biggest vessels dock 17 kilometres away from the centre of Dunkirk! So people had questions about that, and knew relatively little about the port’s activities. Once the association was set up, the process of actually creating the reception centre began. In January 2019, a project manager was recruited, Lucie Taverne. Her role was to work with me on the design of the Port Center’s permanent exhibition. We identified seven themes, to showcase the port world through the example of Dunkirk. We worked with all of the port community’s stakeholders, including GPMD, trades unions, and businesses. along with the people concerned by urban development, such as the AGUR, the tourist industry, higher education, and community services. The Port Center was originally due to open on 9 April, but due to Covid-19 it was postponed until 4 July 2020. AIVP - Each Port Center has a different governance structure, and this is often one of the first challenges. In your case, you rely on three main partners. Can you tell us how you are able to juggle their concerns? Delphine Taleux-Grisot,Port Center Dunkirk – The three partners complement one another perfectly, and each has committed to the project in a different way. The Dunkirk Urban Community (CUD) brought the investment needed to bring the premises into…