Nice is still caught up in the tramway construction, but the end of the tunnel is now in sight. The work on the city’s two iconic squares is expected to be completed by the end of this summer. For now, Place Garibaldi and Place Masséna look more like ruins. Let’s take a closer look at the situation with local merchants.
“Nothing to scrape up!” Alain, age 47, is a local from Nice. He works at “Primeurs Garibaldi”. The redevelopment of Place Garibaldi leaves him indifferent. “They can do whatever they want as long as they leave the greenery so the birds can always come. Every morning, I watch hundreds of swifts settle around the square.” Alain can rest assured: “cutting down trees is forbidden.” This is the order received by Mr. Balzano, the head of a team of ten people bustling around Place Garibaldi. The workers are unaware of the final result. They are simply there to lay the EDF cables, which creates quite a mess. Michelle and her husband try to cross the street. It’s not as simple as it seems. The detour is quite significant. “It’s a real labyrinth, it changes every day. Sure, it creates disturbances. But I’m in favor of a pedestrian Place Garibaldi. It’s a necessary evil.”
The downside is primarily felt by Georges. At 79 years old, Mr. Benguigui has owned the “‘Nrico” store on Place Garibaldi for 38 years. The impact on his turnover is “indisputable.” It ranges from -10% to -30%. Yet, Georges has not filed for compensation. “Too complex. A friend applied. The sums are negligible compared to the number of papers and justifications required.” Georges Benguigui’s shop hasn’t moved for nearly 40 years. Nevertheless, his landlord is not against a little makeover of the famous Giuseppe Garibaldi square. “As long as the statue is still there.”
Of course, the statue will not move. In the tramway project presentation booklet, we even learn that Place Garibaldi and Place Masséna “will offer a renovated and embellished environment, pleasant for residents and visitors.” For this, no electrical wires will be visible. In the May 2006 Infotram bulletin, Georges Martinez, director of studies and system at the Tramway Directorate, reveals that the vehicle will have onboard batteries to be able to cross the two famous squares in Nice in full autonomy.
The Construction Site Life
Liz recently bought the snack bar “La Caroube” on Place Masséna, after the beginning of the works. Hence, she invested with full knowledge of the situation. “I had seen the final result on a model and thought it was an awesome project. It’s going to be well landscaped and pleasant to live in. I’m from Nice and I support beautification, renewal. Particularly for Place Garibaldi which had become unlivable. Pedestrians could no longer cross, cars were speeding by at 100 km/h…”
Most merchants agree that once the works are finished, the city of Nice will emerge more beautiful and undoubtedly less cluttered. The problem lies in the management of the construction works. The nuisances are numerous; noise, dust, lack of client accessibility, and delivery problems for merchants. Ludovic, 28, an employee at the Rolex jewelry store on Place Masséna, one day discovered that high grilles had been installed in front of his store, “I’m from Nice, and they can do whatever they want with Place Masséna. Anyway, it was ugly before. All I want is for these grilles to be removed.” He also notes that foreign attendance hasn’t changed. It’s the local clientele that is no longer showing up. Jennifer works at the Gérard Darel boutique a bit further away. She has her explanation. “People from the neighborhood change their shopping destination. They don’t want to hear the sound of the jackhammer for hours.”
The major concern for everyone in Nice is the completion date of the works. Officially, the construction site is supposed to finish by the end of 2007. The people of Nice rather foresee completion in May 2008, if all goes well. And Senator-Mayor Jacques Peyrat would do well to speed up the process for the upcoming municipal elections, according to some.
