Reading the article from the daily newspaper Nice Matin dated November 22, 2013, about the Gare du Sud project prompted Jacques Peyrat to make a few observations on it.
Since he was indeed an actor in this matter, the former mayor of Nice believes that fairness would have required him to have been consulted on the subject: “It is quite unpleasant to be portrayed as a hindrance when my sole and only concern is the general interest and the protection of the interests of the city of Nice, and therefore of the people of Nice.”
The former mayor recalls that the land of the former Gare du Sud was purchased by the Nice City Hall under his administration for the sum of 12 million euros, to carry out an urban renewal including a new city hall, a gym, a parking lot, a media library, a daycare, a police station, a fire station, and a public garden.
Although this project of general interest was adapted to the requirements of the Ministry of Culture, which had classified the building at the request of Christian Estrosi, who did not hesitate to cancel this ambitious project, ultimately paying substantial financial compensation. Jacques Peyrat thus targets his criticism: “Christian Estrosi is therefore not the best positioned to talk about blockage, since he is largely responsible for the delays in the previous project, which has de facto become the urban wasteland he claims to denounce today.”
He adds: “Given the huge legal and financial irregularities in this new project, as well as the astonishment of the people of Nice upon learning that Christian Estrosi had handed over to a private operator, for a symbolic euro, a piece of land purchased with their taxes for 12 million euros, I indeed filed an appeal and a complaint before the administrative courts to safeguard the interests of Nice and the people of Nice who are enduring the financial waste of Mr. Estrosi’s municipality since he accessed the City Hall in March 2008.”
The battle of the municipal elections is well underway for soldier Peyrat!
