This Monday, a visit to the construction sites of Place Pierre Gautier and the Cité du Parc took place in the presence of Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice. Several Deputies and merchants were also present.
The discussions on the redevelopment of Cours Saleya, Cité du Parc, and Place Pierre Gautier emerged in November 2017. At the time, Christian Estrosi had requested the establishment of two working groups to gather opinions from merchants, florists, vegetable market sellers, and food vendors. The objectives were, among other things, to renovate an aging area, revitalize the market, and restore order in the occupation of the public domain.
Cours Saleya and Place Pierre Gautier
The layout of Cours Saleya will be slightly modified, transitioning from 3-4 rows of tarpaulins to an alignment of 2 rows of stands on each side of a large central aisle. This will not affect the number of stalls; in fact, the sales area should even increase by 260m2 for vegetable market sellers and florists. New retractable electric tarps will be installed (6x4m) with a valance, LED lighting, and a gutter collecting rainwater. The existing trees will remain in place, but the streetlights will be removed in favor of façade public lighting.
Place Pierre Gautier will be redeveloped, including the installation of a palm grove (14 palm trees) and 28 additional covered stalls around the area. These changes will permanently prevent the presence of vehicles in the square and restore it entirely to pedestrians. The start of the work has revealed some archaeological remains (old pipes, traces of 17th-century buildings).
Total Redevelopment of the Cité du Parc
Those who have lived in Nice for a long time know this famous long corridor nestled between Cours Saleya and Quai des États-Unis. This street primarily served as a space for storing restaurant garbage and, much to our dismay, as a public urinal in the evening. The path will be paved and pedestrianized, the arches of the Galerie de la Marine will be opened while preserving the Galerie des Ponchettes. Regarding waste, the project plans to set up facilities equipped with compacting bins and underground containers. Restaurateurs will have the opportunity to install south-facing terraces throughout the year (850m2 in total). A video surveillance system will also be implemented.
The works will take place in two phases:
– From October 2019 to February 2020 for Place Pierre Gautier
– From October 2020 to February 2021 for the eastern part of Cours Saleya
The City of Nice has invested 5,000,000 euros for all the works. It remains to be seen if the restaurateurs will agree to create new terraces to make the Cité du Parc path attractive, and if some local residents’ owners will not be resistant to these changes.
