“They're going to rebuild a car park at Arceaux, it's a disgrace”: what is this temporary coating that is misleading the people of Montpellier ?

At the foot of the Peyrou, the 3,600 m2 Place Max Rouquette will be able to host shows with a grandstand of nearly 2,500 seats, equipped with a kiosk for the rediscovered conviviality of this emblematic place.

“It's not true, they're going to rebuild a car park at Arceaux, it's a disgrace”. This slightly angry message from a resident of the immense Place Max Rouquette under construction can be understood. Moreover, “we have had quite a few messages of this order sent to us”, agrees Nicolas Roubieu, director of the Mission Grand Cœur, in charge of coordinating the work in the city center. Before assuring that “Of course, that's not the case. Quite the contrary”. The square will be renovated and cars will be banned, as promised.

The stands overlooking the gardens with a small kiosk where you can have a coffee. BASE

What we think is a square covered with asphalt again is, in reality, as they say in the jargon of “grave bitumen”. A temporary black coating that will facilitate the work. But the square will indeed be covered with limestone from Villebois, from a quarry in Isère. A stone like that of the Place de la Comédie which has “the double advantage of being extracted locally, assures Nicolas Roubieu,and above all, once treated by flaming to have a tone, a shade consistent with the stone of Peyrou and the Saint-Clément Aqueduct".

The return of rides for children ?

Because these beautification works have the mission of being consistent with those of the Comédie, the Esplanade and the prefecture : "It is a question here of extending the city center which will begin rue Marioge. And thus, create a large public space that will regain its original form. That of the tambourine field, dear to Max Rouquette, our famous Occitan writer”, explains the mayor Michaël Delafosse.

A center from Arceaux to the Rives du Lez

The mayor does not intend to stop there. After the work on rue Saint-Louis and the city centre squares, launched during this term, Michaël Delafosse is looking further ahead. During the next term, and if he is re-elected, he plans to include these developments in a coherent whole to redefine the whole of the centre of Montpellier, from Les Arceaux to the Rives du Lez. “This is the beginning of a great story. The goal is to reveal the exceptional heritage. In particular that of the Saint-Clément aqueduct. And to create a large pedestrian flow from the Cité Astruc to the Simone Veil college", emphasizes the mayor who plans to talk about it again very soon.

The vast 3,600 m2 square will be developed, bordered by a staircase with a ramp accessible to people with reduced mobility. Along it, a system of fountains will flow which will recall the path of water, that of the Arceaux aqueduct which will be a resurgence and a refreshment point, insists the mayor. The square will be decorated with two 3X3 basketball courts, children's games, a kiosk in the spirit of those on the Esplanade where it will be pleasant to have a coffee. We can imagine tambourine matches, concerts by the Montpellier orchestra, open-air cinema, the Christmas winter fair, and even a funfair like in the past… Various shows will be able to take place there thanks to stands that can accommodate up to 2,500 people.

1,600 m2 de-impermeable

On this immense square, 1,600 m2 will be de-impermeable. A return to nature that will allow us to obtain substantial aid from the water agency and, above all, participate in the fight against climate change. Around the square, local residents are reassured to learn that the construction site will not leave room for cars but rather for two gardens in the heart of an island of freshness. 130 trees will be planted to double the canopy surface to 6,000 m2. At the edge of the square, the first stones have been delivered. Ready to be laid in a few days.

The future Place Max Rouquette seen from the sky. BASE

A stone's throw away, Jules, co-owner of the legendary La Cigale establishment, is not bothered by the arrival of a competitor in the 30 m2 kiosk, the management of which will be the subject of an upcoming call for tenders: “There's room for everyone. For the work, we'll keep our heads down, but the place will be particularly pleasant. We are fully into this rehabilitation project", he assures. Everyone is waiting for the upcoming transformation planned for autumn 2025. Within a year. Patience…

The cost of the work is estimated at 8.5 million euros. I subscribe to read the rest