The upcoming arrival of summer has possibly diminished the fighting spirit of the Municipal Council members? In any case, that’s the takeaway from yesterday’s session: a muted atmosphere, tones devoid of any aggressiveness, a foil instead of a saber.
Even the Mayor of Nice, usually sharp in his remarks towards his opponents, showed a certain indulgence. A “slow” municipal council meeting, which allowed the councillors to text rather than follow the debates.
It is true that the agenda lacked spice, as most of the deliberations were routine… Nonetheless, the more significant ones were noted.
In terms of urban planning, the most noteworthy was the designation of the winner (the term is a bit pompous but that’s how it is) for the Ray project (park + residential program + sports and commercial facilities), awarded to the ADIM consortium. Criticisms from the opposition, particularly driven by Dominique Boy-Mottard, did not sway the Mayor of Nice’s determination to push this project forward to align it temporally with the South Station project.
A minor yet eagerly awaited project (remember that a collective effort from local residents forced the city to abandon another project) is the arrangement (building + garden + nursery) of Colonel Jeanpierre Square. In this case, the promoter Logirem will be in charge of the operation.
Finally, we must note the administrative progress to free up the area currently used as a bus station, where a real estate complex (housing, shops, cinema) will be established. How and where will the bus station find its place? Is a multimodal mobility hub near Riquier station, as requested by environmentalists, foreseeable?
A small adrenaline rush was recorded during the deliberation on the names of streets and public spaces. While some names, often prestigious, were unanimously agreed upon, others raised objections: particularly that of Charles Pasqua, a controversial figure in both positive and negative senses. What should prevail for someone who was a resistant at 15, who had a long political career, was a minister, and was thrice convicted on various grounds? Would it not have been better to attribute it to Max Cavalgione, also a gold medalist of the resistance and a municipal councilor from 1978 to 2001, as requested by Madame Boy-Mottard and others? This overlooked Christian Estrosi’s fervent admiration for Charles Pasqua.
The security aspect couldn’t be ignored, and in the adopted proposals, Christian Estrosi’s “passion” for every “police gadget” (a fond definition from environmentalists) resurfaces.
There will be two new applications in the matter: the first is a merchant alert button connecting retail points to security services in case of theft or assault. The other is the IRIS vehicle, which allows the cabin to be elevated to 3.5 meters in height, transforming it into an observation point.
These innovations align with the “Smart City” vision that the Mayor of Nice has enthusiastically chosen. After the setbacks of the intelligent parking system, caution is advised before getting excited and shouting “eureka.” Empirical proof of proper functioning will tell if the “gadgets” should be classified among the hits or the flops.
Finally, “last but not least,” a specialized magazine reveals that Nice is a good place for cats to live. A nice satisfaction that encourages perseverance: start with little felines to eventually say the same for human bipeds…
Maybe, one day!
