Costières stadium in Nîmes: towards partial demolition of the enclosure ?

Le devenir de l’enceinte des Costières reste encore flou à l’heure actuelle, même si plusieurs hypothèses ont été posées. Midi Libre – MiKAEL ANISSET

The mayor of Nîmes Jean-Paul Fournier reveals some possibilities on the future of the future Costières stadium, while the project led by Rani Assaf, boss of Nîmes Olympic, is today at a standstill.

Jean-Paul Fournier, you commissioned a study to estimate the cost of renovating the Costières stadium. Do you have any feedback from the design office?

We, in fact, commissioned a study which I received a few days ago. But nothing has been decided yet. There are several solutions that have been put forward: in the one favored for the moment, there is the idea of ​​keeping the current stadium, maintaining a left part to bring there companies, in particular Bastide which was looking for a location that could suit it to expand, near the polyclinic. We would thus keep the two stands, North and South, as well as the East side for 7 million euros, which we would have the possibility of spreading over three or four years. There are also more expensive solutions. But this one wouldn't be bad, insofar as it would allow us to do the lawn, the lighting, all the seating in the stands and also the locker rooms…

With possible approval for Ligue 2 ?

No, however, we could not play in the second division with this renovation. But that’s enough if the team stays in National. This is a temporary solution. Furthermore, we still have contacts of the club being taken over by several buyers. Julien Plantier is due to meet one soon.

A future stadium with three stands studied

Details Contact on the file, the first deputy mayor Julien Plantier, who has been working for many weeks on the very complex project of the Costières stadium, confirms that several hypotheses are therefore up for grabs. the study. But the idea of ​​creating a stadium could not be ignored. three stands, à like the Defense Arena & Paris is indeed the one holding the rope, in order to allow a rearrangement of the space. A "&solution to short term, conceded to the chosen one, but which allows a change of destination of certain stands without the building of the remaining ones suffering. "This rehabilitation would allow the Olympic Nîmes to play again at the Costières just in caseù…", continues Julien Plantier, remarking that reference to "this ésword of Damocles" linked to the Antonins stadium. Property of SA Nemau, therefore of Rani Assaf, the ground of the Antonins stadium is rented &agrav; the City by an agreement providing that NîOlympic can play there until 2027. À Ultimately, this enclosure must be dismantled, initially allowing time to build the desired new stadium. by the City and Rani Assaf.

Were you able, in this sense, to re-dialogue with Mr. Assaf, the president of Nîmes Olympique ?

You said at the end of the year that you had not heard anything from him since the summer. No, no dialogue. Since last summer, it’s been radio silence. We don't know what to do…hellip; I wrote to him to get some information about his future, but he did not answer me. I don't know what he's looking for. If he wants to sell, if he wants to stay. Nobody can get it.