The magic of Christmas has worked in hearts, but not in wallets in the city of Neuchâtel. End-of-year events took place for more than a month in several locations in the cantonal capital. At the time of the first assessment, the Neuchâtel Center merchants’ association and the City say they are satisfied with the attendance, but a little less with the financial results. “People were there, but they didn’t consume much. We see that the situation is quite complicated for many Neuchâtel residents,” explains Neuchâtel municipal councilor Jonathan Gretillat.
Most traders in downtown Neuchâtel confirm this trend. Bernard Schneider, president of the Neuchâtel Center merchants’ association, explains: “It’s a fairly classic phenomenon: when it snows in December and the weather is nice in the heights, people tend to be in the ski resorts. »
Swap parking spaces for rides and a Ferris wheel: has the city of Neuchâtel made the right choice?
For more than a month, a Ferris wheel and rides occupied the parking lot at Place Alexis-Marie Piaget. This has significantly reduced the number of parking spaces in the city. And, unlike last year, no replacement parking has been set up on Place du Port to compensate for this loss.
The municipal councilor of Neuchâtel, Jonathan Gretillat, indicates that it will be necessary to analyze the situation more precisely to determine what the City will do next year. However, he believes that: “the rides and the Starlight circus have increased the attractiveness of the city center. »
As for the Neuchâtel Center merchants’ association, the observation is a little less positive. “It’s difficult to say, but it’s clear that parking spaces are sorely lacking according to customers of downtown businesses,” underlines Bernard Schneider.
All’s well that ends well in La Chaux-de-Fonds
Last November, three market gardeners from the traditional market of the Watchmaking Metropolis found themselves without a place to sell their products during the holidays. This provoked the indignation of the Tchaux Market Group (GMT), which called on the Municipal Council to find solutions.
Ultimately, the different parties managed to find a compromise. This epilogue satisfies the Chaux-de-Fonnier municipal councilor Thierry Brechbühler: “We were able to meet the different stakeholders and resolve the details that needed to be resolved. This delights us greatly. »
Swiss
