We are reporting in full the statements from the mayor of Nice and his local opponent, who is also the number 2 of the Regional Council. Each will draw the necessary lessons and conclusions they wish.
We take the liberty of revisiting the Nice Stadium topic by reminding our readers that we previously presented some critical considerations regarding its financial architecture, comparing it with a project of the same scale, the new private stadium owned by Juventus, a Turin club that needs no introduction.
The cost of this operation is about 120/130 million euros, the stadium is practically finished and will be inaugurated this summer to be fully ready for the 2011-2012 season. Its economic model seems interesting to us and could have been taken into consideration as a comparative example with the future Nice stadium. Frankly, we think that this would have been more profitable, rather than getting lost in this controversy over the regional funding of 3 million more or less.
The project leader for the Turin dossier is named Jean-Claude Blanc, a Frenchman with a residence on the Côte d’Azur. After the inauguration of the Turin stadium, when this commitment is completed, Jean-Claude Blanc, no longer having responsibilities in the sports sector of the Agnelli family club, will be professionally available. His skills could prove very useful for managing such a complex dossier that doesn’t seem to have been perfectly mastered to date.
Reactions around Nice Stadium
Reaction from Christian Estrosi, Deputy, Mayor of Nice, President of Nice Côte d’Azur
“Yesterday, Monday, May 16, 2011, during a public session of the City Council, when we were about to examine a resolution that, for the 3rd time, asked the Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur Region for funding for the Nice Stadium, an opposition Municipal Councillor brought to my attention a letter from President Michel Vauzelle, announcing to me that “the Region’s contribution could be around €7M.”
Contrary to what this letter claims, this contribution from the Region is not equivalent to that attributed to the City of Marseille for the renovation of the Vélodrome Stadium.
In fact, if for this renovation the Region provides €10M, it’s within a global agreement of €20M, in which these €10M are actually intended for the financing of sports facilities.
Beyond this surprising way of proceeding, I indicated today, in a letter to the President of the Region, that this effort remained insufficient, especially if we consider that over the past two years, out of €20.6M investments from the City of Nice for its sports facilities, the Region has only provided €256,113, or only 1.24% …
It is important to remember that this Nice Stadium project has managed to rally public partners, without the Region responding to the solicitation so far:
-The State: €20M (This contribution, initially €18M, was increased on April 20)
-The Department of Alpes-Maritimes: €20M
-The Urban Community: €6M
-The City of Nice: €16M
Under these conditions, we will again present, at the next City Council, a resolution demanding that fairness between the City of Marseille and the City of Nice be respected.”
REGION’S PARTICIPATION IN THE STADIUM FUNDING:
REACTION FROM PATRICK ALLEMAND TO CHRISTIAN ESTROSI’S STATEMENTS
Michel VAUZELLE has just reiterated that he is a man of his word, contrary to the repeated allegations of Mr. ESTROSI.
Indeed, he has just confirmed the public commitment he made at the New Year’s wishes at the Prefecture on January 4, 2011.
The Region will participate in the funding of the Grand stadium in the amount of €7 million.
Instead of thanking the Region for its solidarity, the Mayor denounces in a statement that Nice would be treated less favorably than Marseille.
The Mayor of Nice is engaging in petty politics. In fact, the numbers show the opposite.
The Region will provide €10 million to the Vélodrome Stadium and €7 million to the Olympic Nice Stadium.
The renovated Vélodrome Stadium will have a capacity twice that of Nice’s stadium (72,000 seats versus 35,000).
The renovation work of the Vélodrome is estimated at €260 million excluding tax, while the construction of the Nice stadium is at €200 million excluding tax.
Take out your calculators, you will see that fairness has been strictly maintained.
But the Mayor of Nice cannot acknowledge this as the first vice-president of the Region is also the leader of his opposition.
Thanking would be too painful for him.
Hence the necessity for him to engage in a sterile, small, and unworthy polemic that we will treat as it deserves, with contempt.
