The Institut Francais de Chiropractie is committed to acquiring this functional building and its spacious grounds in the Paris suburb of Vitry-sur-Seine.
1920: Arrival of the first chiropractor in France 1983: Creation of the Institut Francais de Chiropractie (IFC) 1995: Chiropractic centennial 1996: ECCE accreditation of IFC 1997: Purchase of new premises. When will chiropractic be legalized in France?
Thirteen years after its founding, IFC has developed, matured and reached a stature that has entitled it to obtain ECCE (European Council on Chiropractic Education) accreditation, which bears reciprocal agreements with its American CCE equivalent.
To fully obtain ECCE accreditation, IFC has committed itself to acquire new premises, the present location being neither spacious, nor functional enough. We have found premises which will totally fit IFC's needs. Located at Vitry-sur-Seine, a French suburb five minutes by train from the center of Paris, 10 minutes from Orly international airport, these 1,400 m2 premises, built on a 3,000 m2 closed park, present all the advantages to attract us.
The nearby Seine river environment is currently under reconstruction on both banks. The 3,000 m2 closed park is composed of a landscaped part in front of the main building, a parking lot on the side, and a vast no man's land in the rear which will later be arranged as a sports area. Access to the main building is through a spacious, well lit, entrance hall at the bottom of which a broad staircase leads to the different floors. This building has a basement that could be equipped into laboratories, a first floor and two upper floors. It could host five bright classrooms, a large library, an x-ray room, two technique (palpation) rooms, a teaching staff room, and all administrative offices. A wing, which could eventually have an upper floor added on in the future, will be entirely devoted to the postgraduate education of chiropractors. Finally, an eight room independent pavilion will be transformed as a out-patient clinic while keeping a security guard apartment.
How Much?
The cost of these premises is 6.6 million French francs (FF) without the taxes, to which FF1.3 million has to be added as sale taxes and FF500,000 for security standards construction work (fire emergency standards to accommodate public); this amounts to a total budget of 8.4 million francs ($1.6 million in U.S. dollars).
IFC can borrow FF6 million with regard to its present rent capacity and holds an approximate FF700,000 capital. We are very grateful to ECU who supports our project by donating FF1.3 million to the Institute, which covers taxes costs. We are left to find FF400,000 ($72,000 U.S. dollars) to finance the security standards construction work.
When?
The lease on rue Duhesme in Paris ends October 1997. The financing will take place in three steps:
- June-July '96: signature of a commitment to buy contract: FF1.5 million (own fund plus ECU grant)
- October '96: beginning of construction work: FF0.5 million (own fund [FF100,000] plus donations [FF400,000]).
- June-July '97: signature of final buying contract: FF1.3 million (taxes), plus FF5.1 million (bank loan [FF6 million]), plus own fund [FF0.4 million]).
How? IFC emerges from a nonprofit organization with an educational aim and is entitled to receive donations. We therefore appeal to the entire profession, in France, in Europe, and in the USA to help us acquire these premises. Already, two American chiropractors, Dr. Amelia Case and Dr. Steve Arcuelo, both NCC graduates practicing in Chicago, have just laid the first stone of the future Institut Francais de Chiropractie with a donation of U.S. $1,000. Many thanks to them. Their names, along with the ones of all our forthcoming benefactors, will be engraved in the entrance hall of our premises. Furthermore, we will name the different rooms after our most generous donators who will thereby join Joseph Janse, DC, whose portrait keeps a watchful eye on the propedeutique (pre-university instruction) class.
You can yourself help us too, all the more as IFC is now ECCE accredited and needs to develop to become a leading chiropractic college in Europe. We thus hope that every chiropractor will feel concerned with our project and bring us his appropriate help.
Charles Martin
IFC Director
Editor's note: If you'd like to donate to this cause, send money orders or checks to:
Institut Francais de Chiropractie
44, rue Duhesme
75018 Paris
FRANCE
Donations may also be made via Eurocard/Mastercard, American Express, or VISA.
