On this site was situated the old tobacco factory (1761, moved to rue Barla in 1861), then a school overlooking rue Saint-François-de-Paule. On the sea side, was situated the branch of the Bank of France (1860), with a contiguous town house, which was demolished in 1980. Today, under the Esplanade there is the Sulzer parking, and on the quai is placed a work by Bernar Venet, inaugurated on 31 May 2010.