“The announcement of the Council of State is a real scandal”: the PLR sees red as for the increase in costs of the future skit of the Trèfle-Blanc, he said Thursday. Devised at 150 million francs a year ago, the project is now estimated at 293 million, the cantonal executive said on Wednesday. To explain this additional cost, he highlighted “the result of the choice of quality”, as well as an increase in the price of materials “by 16% since the start of the war in Ukraine”. The Council of State has filed a credit request for additional studies of 5.35 million from the Grand Council.
“It is incredible that there was just this communication,” deplores the president of the PLR, Pierre Nicollier, who is surprised by this abrupt announcement. From our point of view, it is not serious. If, in twelve months, we take 150 million in the teeth, I am very worried about the future, “said the deputy, who fears other additional costs and also delays in the realization of the project, scheduled for 2030.
In its press release, the PLR ”requests the immediate reopening of the architectural competition, with clear and realistic objectives, both in terms of calendar and financial”. Pierre Nicollier specifies: “The idea is not to relaunch an architectural competition and to leave for ten years. If we have a majority, we will ask the executive to go back and re -study the application files. We can condition the advancement of the project and the voting of credit for additional studies to a resumption of other options, perhaps a simpler project at the architectural level. And that does not mean that the skating rink will be ugly. ”
Saying ready to put more than the 150 million initially planned, the Liberal-Radical insists, however: “We need to make sure that it is coherent and serious. We are all convinced that we need a new skating rink in Geneva, but the current situation is not acceptable. It’s very frustrating, it’s been so long since we are waiting for this construction. ”
