Future work on the Nîmes market halls: without answers to their questions, stallholders worried about their future

À partir du 1er janvier 2030, les halles de Nîmes seront entièrement refaites. Midi Libre – MiKAEL ANISSET

Une réunion en mairie a créé l’émoi chez de nombreux étaliers, peu rassurés face à une remise en question de leur présence dans les futures halles rénovées.

IF the meeting organized at the town hall this Wednesday July 17 was intended to present to the market stalls the project to renovate the site, for some it sounded like a hammer blow in the face of prospects future considered gloomy. And this meeting leaves, in any case, for the majority, many questions unanswered. As for the representatives of the halls, there is however consensus on one point: there is no questioning of the need to renovate a site which has not changed since the 1970s.

A feeling of being "left-behind"

"We are fully aware that there is a need for upgrading, and we are not at all against the work, but the problem is that we have the feeling of being left behind", saddens these two members of the joint commission. Indeed, while the occupancy leases end on December 31, 2029, work on the halls will start on January 1, 2030, for an estimated duration of 18 months. The future of the current occupants of the place is therefore no longer assured from this date: "We will have to go through a call for tenders. It's the law, of course, we know it, but for us who have taken out loans, who have invested, for those who would like to sell their business because they are retiring, what assurance do we have to return after the work ? None ! It is not even said that these future halls will be able to accommodate the 69 stalls that we currently have!"

Pop-up shops that leave you skeptical

Faced with what these men consider to be a "blurry" left by the municipality, several problems arise for traders: during the work period, a fallback solution, for those who wish it, will be offered in small pop-up shops on Gambetta. & ;quot;But for what price ? What size will it be ? What do I do with my employees ?",asks this trader while his neighbor wonders about the future of the restaurateurs of the site. “And we're not even talking about those who have a stall around the market halls and who have simply been wiped off the map of the new project!”

“The City is doing everything to ensure that the market halls continue to exist,” assures Christophe Pio

“What was presented to the stallholders was a sketch, we still have time to work together to refine the project and find solutions.” Municipal councilor delegated to the market halls, Christophe Pio wants to be reassuring. "From the start of the school year, we will have meetings every two months with the services, the administration and the joint committee. The stallholders are the main players in the market, we are aware of that. And we found solutions for them when we actually didn't have to." If Christophe Pio does not yet have definitive answers, particularly as to the future of restaurateurs or the amount of rent for temporary shops, for the future rsquo;elected official, the essential thing is above all "to preserve the soul of the halls, we do not want to distort them. But we have the obligation to do this work and we chose the quickest solution with only 18 months to redo everything. A meeting with the commission equality is scheduled for Tuesday, July 23, "we will be able to discuss the work, but we will also meet three stall buyers who are not at all frightened by the future work, on the contrary", assures Christophe Pio . As a reminder, the work plans to pedestrianize rue Guizot which will accommodate the terraces of the future restaurants of the halls, but also a resumption of the coverings and all the networks including the cable trays or even a replacement of public toilets, surrounding lighting and smoke extraction systems.

"The elected officials tell us that we can be happy that a solution has been found for us, that they were not obliged to do so. We remind you that the halls have 350 people working, 69 stalls and more than 50 million euros; of turnover! It’s the lung, the soul of the heart of the city!, complain the members of the joint commission. Who are not going to stop there: "Our goal is not to cut off the dialogue: we are going to go around all the stalls so that  rsquo;they can express their feelings and ideas, and submit this list of grievances to the town hall. We are willing to make counter-proposals, provided we are not faced with a wall…", blurted out this merchant, before returning to his customers. Just as worried about what will become of their favorite shopping spot.