“This project is not just a parking lot, it is a new element of our green circle.” Wilson Square is being discussed in Nice.

Le Figaro Nice

A new police station, an initiative of the Côte d’Azur Metropolis of Nice and the City of Nice, is due to open very soon on the site of the Saint-Roch Hospital in the east of the city. The latter will unite the city and national police in one place, aiming to strengthen cooperation between the two institutions. The adjacent Marshall parking lot will be used exclusively for the needs of the more than 2,000 employees of this future police station.

In fact, in order to provide residents of the neighborhood with a safe parking offer, Metropole approved on October 6 the start of the public service delegation procedure for the construction and operation of a parking lot under Wilson Square, one hundred meters from Marshall. bus station

As part of the construction project of this underground parking lot, which has 550 spaces on 5 levels, the park above the square will be reconstructed. This Monday, the day of the start of geotechnical studies ahead of the works, which should not start until 2025 and delivery until 2027, the mayor of Nice and the president of the Metropolis, Christian Estrozzi, wanted to assess the upcoming reconstruction. Edil assured that “this project is not just a parking lot, it is a new element of our green infrastructure, which corresponds to the redevelopment of the city center axes that we started after the delivery of tram line 2.»

that “sacrifice” From Place Wilson Park

In this context, the park will expand from 2,000 square meters and offer an expanded playground that will be open to all. Project to be proposeda more peaceful living environment due to re-qualification of roads and reduction of car share“, again according to Christian Estrozi.

However, the green opposition, which voted against the project, does not see anything good in this new urban development. Is related Le FigaroHélène Granouillac, an elected ecologist and president of the association Terre Bleue, criticizes: “sacrifice” from the garden of this square. And for good reason, according to the City, some of the trees present in Wilson Square today will be planted elsewhere in Nice, while others deemed diseased will be crushed. “And since when did they get sick?” Asks the chosen one, who is also a member of the green areas committee. Until now, they have never been presented as such. Additionally, there are studies that tend to prove that cool islands are effective when they are made up of a mix of young and old trees. However, if we replant everything, this obviously won’t be the case.»

“Bad Controversy”

Helen Granouac, however, does not say she is against the project. “We (ecologists – editor’s note) are not against it, we just condemn the inconsistency. First of all, we are in favor of the preservation of priceless species for us.»

“That’s a bad argument. Deputy Mayor for Ecology, Health and Wellbeing Richard Chemla regrets for his part. And then it’s not nice for our friends in green spaces who are responsible for listing diseased trees. They are not liars. You have to understand that they don’t cut down trees for you to cut down. If they are not dangerous. Let’s also not forget that every time one is cut, two are replanted behind. It’s part of our tree charter.”