During the city council meeting on Friday, the last one before the holidays, which allowed to catch up on the deliberations left pending during the pandemic and between the first and second rounds of the election, the majority voted to extend the Promenade du Paillon through the demolition of the Nice National Theatre and the Acropolis. This project will reshape the city’s urban landscape, sparking opposition and controversy for months.
It was a campaign promise, and promises must be honored, especially if the one who made them is Christian Estrosi.
The city council voted for the extension of the Promenade du Paillon, with 10 hectares of greenery reclaimed from concrete. This extension involves the demolition of the Nice National Theatre (TNN) as well as the Acropolis.
The Nice National Theatre would be relocated to Saint-François Square, occupying the old Franciscan convent with an additional hall at the Palais des Expositions, which will also house a sports hall and the Carnival Museum.
As for the enlarged Palais des Expositions and Congresses, it would be moved to the site of the National Interest Market (MIN), west of the city, as part of the Eco-Valley Project and connected to the airport and the future intermodal station.
For Christian Estrosi, these major works are necessary as Nice must adapt to climate change: “We are moving towards greening. I committed to increasing vegetated areas from 30 hectares to nearly 70 hectares because we know that this is how you lower the temperature, creating cooling spots.”
Defending downtown economic actors who feel disadvantaged by the lack of clientele, Philippe Verdon (RN) is not convinced by this explanation. He accuses the mayor of Nice of wanting to move economic activities to the west and leaving only tourist activities in the city center: “We will have a bit more green space downtown but it will be overshadowed by cranes, buildings, and concrete. We need to stop. It will have a significant financial and environmental impact, as destruction leads to pollution.”
The two men are prone to harsh verbal exchanges. During one of these confrontations, the mayor of Nice wanted to make a point against the fiery Philippe Vardon, by suspending the session for a few minutes and reminding him of the session’s rule of conduct.
The Greens, less impulsive than their opposition colleagues, are no less incisive in their critiques. Their spokeswoman, Juliette Chesnel-Leroux, is always well-prepared, speaking calmly, but her words cut like a blade: “This project is overall destructive, an ecological absurdity, a Monopoly game by the mayor of Nice,” she asserts. Who would have thought this of a woman who appears as a mother superior?
With deliberations on these key projects (extension of the Promenade des Paillons, demolition of the TNN and Acropolis, redevelopment of the Palais des Expositions, creation of a theater activity hub on the old Franciscan Church site), the mandate’s program is gaining momentum.
In addition, there is the initiation of procedures—voted on July 23 at the Metropolitan Council—for the revamped Parc des Expositions et Congrès (and accompanying real estate program).
Christian Estrosi aims to leave his mark on the historical buildings even more profoundly: the old Communal Palace (next to the Franciscan Church) is also set to be rehabilitated to become a venue for presenting “the history of Nice during the medieval and modern periods (9th century-1792).”
After reading these deliberations, one might think it is enough, right? But no, there are still more items:
(i) The launch of studies for the by-now famous joint police station, combining national and municipal forces, and—newly added—the health, environmental, and risk management agency at the site of the old Saint-Roch hospital. After visits and approvals from various Interior Ministers, the jackpot arrived with Prime Minister Jean Castex’s visit last Saturday. He announced that this project would benefit from the stimulus plan’s credits to be announced at the start of the school year.
The projected budget is 200 million, a breath of fresh air for the city’s chief financial officer Philippe Pradal.
(ii) The candidacy of “Nice as the capital of the Riviera tourism” for inscription on the UNESCO intangible world heritage list is still relevant and supported by the President of the Republic’s decision to present it as France’s sole candidate to the World Heritage Committee. It will be submitted in 2021 (the 2020 deliberations were postponed to 2021 due to the pandemic) after a final validation by the international experts responsible for the evaluation process.
If the application succeeds, it would be an incredible boost for revitalizing Nice’s tourism after a challenging year like the current one. Let’s cross our fingers for the current fog to clear and let the beautiful Mediterranean light shine through!
(iii) “In the spirit of cultural democratization,” as the title states, in agreement with the State “for the development of a program of artistic education,” one facet of which is music education, a project will be tested in collaboration with the CNRR to raise awareness in a priority neighborhood (Ariane) to be replicated subsequently.
The plan—as the agreement states—intends to expand each year to cover the entire Nice territory.
It is a lovely initiative, and it’s never too late to follow international best practices, such as the “Abreu system,” named after the former Venezuelan Minister of Culture, Antonio José Abreu, which, from 1975 onward for several decades and still today, has formed well over one hundred symphony orchestras, among them the national youth orchestra “Orquesta Nacional Juvenil,” now internationally esteemed, from which, for example, Gustavo Dudamel emerged as a conducting star.
(iv) During the Covid crisis, Christian Estrosi did not fail to distinguish himself with his activism recognized by everyone. Faced with the difficulties of state services to meet urgent needs, he has expressed support for the “overhaul of the French health system” (only that?!). More reasonably, he now calls on the Government to favor “decentralization, relying on local elected officials” (… it’s his new cause). The creation of the Health, Environmental, and Risk Management Agency (at both municipal and metropolitan levels) is moving towards uniting all health actors.
A first action involves a study to develop a “master plan for deploying health centers in Nice neighborhoods.” These centers, bringing together several medical disciplines, should help promote a decentralized and proximity-based care system.
Given the embryonic state of the project, we’ll leave it there.
(v) To say the Nice Opera shines brightly would be an overstatement. The question remains: “What are the prospects to ensure its influence and development?”
A first answer could aim at a dual objective: restoration, labeling.
First, there’s the “restoration” aspect, launching works for rehabilitation and upgrades both inside and outside to improve spectator comfort, such as visibility, seating, air conditioning, and introduce technological improvements.
Classified since 1993, this multi-year investment plan must be developed with the Chief Architect of Historical Monuments to plan the scope of work and their schedule.
For the “labeling” aspect, the future of the Opera must necessarily involve gaining the “National Opera” label, granting access to Ministry of Culture subsidies. This objective requires a process, first by labeling the Orchestra, based on a three- to five-year ministerial agreement, involving the recruitment of an orchestra manager, and ensuring stable staffing.
Then, it will be necessary to establish the production center, where the arts, sets, and costumes are crafted.
The journey is steep, but with faith…
Finally, finally:
Deliberation 1.9 offers a glimpse into the future… It concerns the eligible elected official’s right to training. Why come out exhausted after ten hours of debate, which, without resorting to the sacred texts of engineer Taylor, recognized as the father of “scientific management,” could have been reduced by a good 50% without affecting each person’s ability to express themselves?
It is true that elected officials represent the “voice of the people,” but that does not mean they must speak off-topic when there is an agenda. They should adhere to the text of the deliberation instead of wandering into ruminations about the past, present, and future. They should use concise language without launching into lengthy speeches against those who disagree with them and avoid speaking just to hear their own voice.
One dares not imagine what Jacques Richier, accustomed to attending corporate board meetings where work is conducted like clockwork, thought. As a good novice, might he have wondered what kind of circus he had entered?
For information: ask Mr. Philippe Pradal how he manages to say what he needs to say, make himself understood within a reasonable time, and still have time to conclude his intervention with a friendly quote.
