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The Lycée Français d’Oslo is currently undergoing a significant real estate transition. On this page, we provide a concise summary of the latest developments regarding the real estate project, which is being managed jointly by the administration and the Board. Here, you will also find responses to the most commonly asked questions related to this matter.
Background for the real estate project
The school buildings located in Skovveien are belonging to Oslo City Council must undergo extensive mandatory renovation to comply with the safety and working environment regulations for the students and the personnel. The renovations are planned to start in Autumn 2025 and are expected to take approximately two years.
Once renovated, the real-estate/rental cost will increase to match current market price. At the same time, the renovated premises will most likely accommodate less students to comply with the safety and working environment regulations, as well as mandatory increased space requirements per student.
Key details of the real estate project
The board and school management have dedicated considerable effort towards finding a long-term solution for the school, meticulously evaluating various factors such as student capacity, building quality, location, and rental costs. The insights gathered from the parent survey (carried out during Spring 2023) have provided valuable input into this ongoing process.
In collaboration with Fast Eiendom, a respected real estate firm in Oslo renowned for its expertise and extensive experience, we commenced the search for potential new locations for the LFO during the 2020-21 academic year.
However, securing suitable premises for a school in Oslo poses significant challenges. Potential locations must undergo conversion to meet school standards and regulations, with one of the primary hurdles being the requirement for adequate outdoor space. Furthermore, some property owners are hesitant to commit to long-term leases, rendering it financially unfeasible to undertake the necessary conversions.
Extensive searches beyond Oslo municipality have also been conducted. However, the scarcity of existing school-ready premises coupled with minimal price differentials, as renovation costs remain consistent, makes commuting outside Oslo an impractical solution for our school community.
Latest developments as per June 2024
The Board met on May 27, 2024 and decided that Skovveien will remain the main location for the LFO.
The school buildings at Skovveien will undergo renovations planned to start in autumn 2025. Therefore, we plan to relocate to a temporary site during the renovation period, which is expected to last around two years. After the renovations, we will move back to Skovveien. We are still in negotiations with Oslo Commune regarding the renovations and the contractual agreement.
The temporary location will be the former German school at Sporveisgata. An agreement has been signed with the owner of Sporveisgata, allowing us to use this site during the renovation work at Skovveien, with an option to extend the lease afterward. The board’s plan is to return to Skovveien once the renovation work is finalised, and operate as multiple site location.
Here you’ll find answers to the most frequently asked questions on the subject.
The school buildings located in Skovveien are belonging to Oslo City Council must undergo mandatory renovations. The renovations are planned to start in Autumn 2025 and are expected to take approximately two years. Once renovated, the real-estate/rental cost will increase to match current market price. At the same time, the renovated premises will most likely accommodate less students to comply with the safety and working environment regulations, as well as mandatory increased space requirements per student.
The board and the management of the school are considering several options assessing different criteria such as student capacity, building quality, location, rent costs, etc. The feedback from the parent survey serves as important input to the process. We aim to finalize the assessment and make a final decision around the end of the year / early 2024. We will inform and keep the LFO community up to date with both direct e-mails and on the LFO webpage.
This story has been covered in the media and might be again. Because media stories often give an incomplete picture of the situation, we ask our LFO community to please refer to LFO website for accurate and up to date information.
No, the school has no plan and does not foresee any scenario where it would close. The school has the support from AEFE, the French government, and the Norwegian government to continue to operate in Oslo.
While not all details are finalized, we can confirm that during the renovation period, starting from the 2025-2026 school year:
The board’s plan is to return to Skovveien once the renovation work is finalised, and operate as a multi-site location, with Skovveien as the main site (planned school year 2027-2028.). We are still in negotiations with Oslo Commune with regards to the renovations and the contractual agreement.
Yes. Bringing our rent in line with the market price, whatever the solution found, will inevitably lead to an increase, which the Administration Board is trying to keep as low as possible, depending on the circumstances.
We are in close dialogue with our French partners. We have great support from our diplomates, a strong commitment from the ambassador and the COCAC. We have a good dialogue with Oslo City Council. They wish to keep the LFO in Oslo and would like to support our efforts.
In addition, we are also in dialogue with the AEFE management and are discussion possible ways for them to support us in this project.
The building didn’t meet the legal requirements to run the school in the way we were planning and the financial risks were too high.