“A plus for the city”: in Frontignan, the relative consensus of traders regarding work in the city center
|L’entrée de la rue Beaumelle est actuellement en travaux. Midi Libre – Thomas Ancona-Léger
Although not everyone is in the same boat regarding the work underway in the town centre of Frontignan, shopkeepers do agree that it is necessary.
“We are seeing a drop in our sales, that's for sure, but this work is really essential”. From the shell kiosk on the corner of Place Jean-Jaurès, Stéphanie, the saleswoman, sums up the general state of mind of the shopkeepers a few weeks after the resumption of operations to “redevelop the city center". Although it has not yet been directly impacted, the establishment where she works should be during the next phase of the work which will directly affect Place Jean-Jaures from next February: “We are still looking for an alternative location, otherwise we will be forced to close for six months”. A few steps away, Sébastien, manager of the Le Flaconner wine cellar, makes the same observation, with one nuance. “Indeed our turnover has dropped, but this is not necessarily linked to the work: the activity is perhaps just a little quieter during this period”, analyses the trader who considers himself”“relatively well supported” by the municipality. The only downside: the communication of the start dates of the work which according to him were a little “Too late”.
“We can't prevent all the inconveniences”
Unsurprisingly, the closer we get to the epicentre of the work, the more concerned people become about its economic impact. Like Eva, who runs the Des Lys coffee shop. After the first phase of the developments on rue Saint-Paul, she estimates she lost at least 50% of her turnover. “I admit that it was necessary, but we were not supported at all: we feel a bit abandoned“, she regrets today while the work has resumed a few steps away, rue Beaumelle. On the other hand, the town hall feels that the work has been done. “We did anticipate this well, explained the operation in advance at the Maison des projets and sent someone on site to discuss with the professionals,” says Patrick Bourmond, municipal councillor responsible for trade and crafts. "We try to protect [the shopkeepers] as much as possible by encouraging residents to continue to stroll through our shops, but we can't prevent all the inconveniences." For the elected official, these should also be compensated by "the future attractiveness" of this new city center.
A break for the end-of-year holidays
After having concerned rue Saint-Paul, the work to redevelop the heart of the city has since the end of September concerned the whole of rue Beaumelle, up to place Christian-Combettes. “We would like to finish this phase before the installation of the Christmas market”, specifies Patrick Bourmond, municipal councillor delegated to trade and crafts, who plans a break during the end-of-year holiday period. Place Jean-Jaures will then be the next construction site for these large-scale operations, scheduled to last until the summer of 2025.
Accommodating workers
An opinion shared by Sébastien Calmet, owner of the Cap Nord-Ouest restaurant on Place Christian-Combettes, who is not overly annoyed by the excavator parked in front of his establishment. “This renovation will be a plus for us and for the city”, he says, confiding that he has not felt a drop in his business. "Furthermore, the workers are really accommodating and caring, they do their utmost to give us access and respect our work as we respect theirs." While taking Rue Beaumelle, we come across Dominique, who has come specially from Vic to do her shopping on this Thursday morning, who looks perplexed at the large trench that scars the roadway "Can we still get through ? She wonders before adding, it's not a few holes that will prevent me from doing my shopping: it's a bit boring, but honestly, I had to do this work!”
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