The MySophiaAntipolis collective is organizing a demonstration against the Open Sky project and the concreting of Sophia on Thursday, June 6, between 12 PM and 2 PM. Participants will march from Place Bermond to the CASA headquarters along a secure route.
Through this gathering, the collective aims to make a call for the preservation of the living environment in the Sophia Antipolis area. The main focus of the protest is aimed at Open Sky shopping center project located in the Clausonnes neighborhood. Supported by the Compagnie de Phalsbourg (Developers/Investors), the development is expected to be completed in 2020.
The entire commercial complex would encompass, in total, 100,000 square meters of space including 60,000 square meters of shops, 20,000 square meters of offices, public services, and community facilities, as well as 10,000 square meters of hospitality. On the complex’s descriptive page, it reads that the goal is to “modernize sometimes aging or poorly positioned offerings and thus reduce commercial leakage, while resisting the arrival of major projects located outside the area.”
The MySophiaAntipolis collective views this project unfavorably. It denounces the impact on the environment and the degradation of the living conditions. For example, it points out the deforestation of 15 hectares of forest to create artificial green spaces, but also the large amount of concrete that will be used, which represents a significant source of CO2 emissions. Finally, it protests against the excessive road traffic that the Open Sky would generate. In an open letter addressed to the mayor of Antibes-Juans-Les-Pins, Jean Leonetti, dating back to December 21, 2018, the collective describes it as an “economic, logistical, and ecological nonsense.”
An online petition against the project has already garnered more than 19,000 signatures.
