In Nice, there’s a lot of talk about the new 20th-century hospital, Pasteur II, which will soon open, but right next door, another center of life and services will open in September between Avenue de la Voie Romaine and Boulevard Pasteur. Its name: La Cité Saint-François.
Residents of these neighborhoods, or motorists familiar with Avenue de la Voie Romaine or Boulevard Pasteur, see it rising day by day, and the work schedule should be perfectly adhered to, unlike its neighbor Pasteur II.
La Cité Saint-François has thus emerged, and we can confidently say that it will meet many needs of the neighborhood, the city, and the region, starting with its nursery of 40 places, a student residence with 43 units, offices, and a day hospital for nutritional rehabilitation.
Finally, to make the place even more lively, a state-of-the-art conference center with 3 modular spaces and a real restaurant will be available to medical and other congress participants from the region and beyond.
A great initiative is presented to us by Valentine Guérin, co-manager of the Clinique Saint-François and the driving force behind a project she knows inside out.
Nice Premium: Valentine Guérin, tell us a bit about this new Cité Saint-François?
Valentine Guérin: Together with Marie-France PANZANI, we wanted “La Cité Saint-François” to be an innovative concept in itself. This 5,000m² building, designed by Jean-Paul GOMIS, is located between the Roman road and Boulevard Pasteur, in close proximity to the Clinique Saint-François, the Centre Antoine Lacassagne, the CHU of Nice, the Delvalle Building, and the Faculty of Medicine.
Our Cité includes a conference center, a restaurant, a student residence with 43 units, an inter-company nursery with 40 places, a day hospital for nutritional rehabilitation, offices, and a parking lot with 100 spaces. Our main goal was to offer a range of services suited to the Pasteur district, which today has a very strong “Health” connotation.
As of September 1, 2015, students, residents, and employees of the neighborhood will be able to drop their child off at the Crèche de la Voie Romaine, enjoy a meal in our restaurant, participate in a video conference, view contemporary art exhibitions, and park at the Cité Saint-François.
Nice Premium: A day hospital specialized in nutrition (obesity and diabetes), is it a first in the region?
Valentine Guérin: Actually, no…. This day hospital is run by the Pégomas Dietetics Unit, which is specialized in nutritional rehabilitation. This new structure will therefore benefit from the extensive experience of the Pégomas team while allowing Nice residents suffering from diabetes and obesity to be treated in Nice.
This day hospital will offer structured multidisciplinary care partly based on therapeutic education with therapeutic kitchens, theoretical workshops, a rehabilitation pool, an adapted physical activity room, and numerous consultation rooms.
Nice Premium: Numerous services in one place, is this a first in Nice and on the Côte d’Azur?
Valentine Guérin: I think indeed… Our observation was simple: the Pasteur district is undergoing a complete transformation; the housing has changed, the tramway has arrived, Hospital Pasteur 2 is almost finished.
We therefore had the opportunity to contribute to addressing a number of shortcomings in this district: A student residence, a nursery, a restaurant, a conference center, a parking lot—these are all “services” that will facilitate the living conditions of the population living, working, or passing through this area!
In fact, our thought was to best meet the needs and expectations of the district, but also more broadly, those of Nice.
Nice Premium: A state-of-the-art conference center, a facility that will make people happy in the region?
Valentine Guérin: As with the other projects, we indeed received extremely positive feedback when we announced the opening of our conference center on September 1, 2015…
Our 3 rooms will accommodate nearly 150 congress participants in a modern setting with an ultra-performing audio and video system and exceptional modular possibilities to offer all the comfort and success of the events that will take place there.
We will also have the privilege of a very beautiful restaurant and the parking lot directly accessible from the conference center, which will be a real convenience for everyone.
Nice Premium: Another feature then, with a real restaurant integrated into your center. A desire to harmonize with your day hospital specialized in nutrition?
Valentine Guérin: Pasteur is the only neighborhood in Nice lacking a place to simply have a coffee or share a good meal in a pleasant setting…
This restaurant is also closely linked to the conference center: it will allow us to offer a range of services essential to the comfort of congress participants (breakfast, coffee breaks, buffet, cocktail, meal trays).
At the same time, it was important for us to adhere to our “health” principles, simply summed up by the words “quality” and “safety.” The restaurant, therefore, will offer healthy and varied cuisine, naturally with a Niçoise touch!
We are happy today to advance in the concept of this restaurant with partners who share all our ambitions for this place of conviviality that will undoubtedly be the heart of our “Cité Saint-François”!
Nice Premium: What is the timeline for your project and the next key dates?
Valentine Guérin: The construction work is currently ongoing and will be completed between April and June 2015 depending on the floors.
Currently, we are finalizing our website www.cite-saint-francois.fr, which will go live from January 15, 2015. This site will allow for conference room quote requests, studio reservations, and information on the nursery…
The entire Cité Saint-François will open on September 1, 2015. An inauguration will be organized in the second half of September 2015.
Nice Premium: Valentine, you will be a happy person if…
Valentine Guérin: … our “Cité Saint-François” becomes a place of life and sharing where everyone enjoys meeting together!
