With barely concealed emotion (wasn’t this one of the places from his childhood, being a child of the Liberation neighborhood himself?), Christian Estrosi presented the future life of the old Gare du Sud, which will be transformed into a modern “commercial hall” and living space that should revitalize the neighborhood.
The entrance of the building is already a community center and a multimedia library. The parking lot with 770 spaces will soon be operational, helping to alleviate private parking and that of professionals from the neighboring market. We can see the buildings that will form the residential park rising higher. The renovation of the Riviera Hotel and its transformation into a multiplex cinema is underway. The only thing missing was a project concerning the perimeter covered by the glass roof (which has been reinstated to its original location) and the adjacent areas.
It was unveiled yesterday, after a public competition that allowed for the selection of the most fitting proposal.
The winning project, led by the company Banimmo, which has successfully restructured Carré Saint-Germain and Halle Secretan in Paris, was selected by a jury composed of municipal councilors led by Lauriano Azinheirinha, and approved with only one abstention from Dominique Boy-Mottard. It centers around three main themes: a gourmet hall-restaurant, a 500 m² club/lounge bar expected to become a hotspot for evening gatherings for both visitors and locals of Nice, and a “vintage” cultural and commercial space.
The project plans to double the usable area (nearly 1500 m²) with a mezzanine of just over 1000 m².
It also includes outdoor activities with kiosks based on the “food truck” concept.
The financial plan involves an investment of 9 million euros to be covered by the concessionaire and an annual fee of 100,000 euros for a 45-year concession. Completion of the works: 4th quarter of 2018.
Gare du Sud is thus experiencing a new life after some uncertainties about its use, with considerations of demolition, a shopping center, or even a new city hall.
The proposed solution is viable and can become an alternative living space to Cours Saleya, which has become a haunt for tourists and revelers.
Of course, purists would have preferred to see a beautiful park-garden instead, which would have brought breathing space to the neighborhood similar to the Promenade des Paillons.
Unfortunately, “green” is expensive in terms of installation and maintenance, doesn’t interest developers, and isn’t financially profitable. So stone takes precedence, and if we manage to provide quality construction and make meaningful use of it… why not?
