IThey already felt abandoned, the few traders still open in the Europe shopping center, in the Grand-Parc district of Bordeaux. Since the announcement of the abandonment of the renovation project last week, they have been bordering on depression. “We’re going to stay here, what do you want?” Most of the businesses are already closed, it’s sad,” laments the grocer Madani, who has been established for two years. Like his colleagues, he was preparing to enter the construction phase to, by 2027, open in a completely new premises. It's a failure. It will remain in its gallery in an advanced state of disrepair. As it was slated for demolition, the owner InCité no longer does any maintenance or renewal of the businesses there. It shows.
The social landlord InCité, operator of the shopping center, had not done any maintenance or renewal for two years, since the gallery had to be demolished.
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The private developer Ville Envie, which was to carry out a major demolition-reconstruction operation in the Europe center, with 277 new housing units and the complete renovation of the Auchan supermarket, says it is faced with a 30% increase in the cost of construction. The economics of his project no longer hold up, he throws in the towel. All the cards are reshuffled. “We suspected that it was going to collapse, after all the appeals that there were against this project,” regrets Isabelle Galy, saleswoman at the medical equipment store Ortho 33, present since the beginning of the shopping center.
2018, “the swan song”
Another merchant in the gallery is more direct: “We’re going to remain a shitty neighborhood!” » Isabelle Galy wonders about the relaunch of an alternative project, promised by the town hall: “She wants to beautify it, I don't see how. Making something new out of something old, I don't see what magical ideas they're going to have. The risk is that Auchan will fail in its turn, when that of Counord is rebuilt. If the renovation had been done on time, we wouldn't be here. » Her colleague Florence Roussely, a saleswoman at the same location, believes that the fire of several stores in 2018 dealt a fatal blow to the shopping mall: “It was the swan song. After that, the activity never returned. » In fact, the six stores never reopened.
Another historic business still open, the Grand-Parc pharmacy. Loïc Bergeon, one of the two partners, laments the abandonment of the project: “We were surprised, the promoter had been silent since June, we no longer had any contact, we wondered what was happening . Now we have to make do with what already exists. The town hall told us that they will rehabilitate, with the lessor InCité. She seems to be a driving force, this project has been dragging on for years, we are impatiently waiting for things to finally move forward. »
Established since the 1970s, this pharmacy is a powerhouse of the shopping center. “We have an important social role, we often help people who don’t speak French well, with procedures and papers. We also do a lot of vaccinations,” confirms Loïc Bergeon. “We absolutely need to find a doctor, the Grand-Parc is very densely populated but it is a medical desert. Things need to come together for the shopping center. »
Two gassings in fifteen days
With the abandonment of the renovation project, the question of security resurfaces. “The deal point has become very significant, there are many of them. There is nothing stopping them, no islanders. A police raid from time to time and the traffic settles down again. We were gassed twice in two weeks, the police said they had been stoned. Tear gas entered the store, many customers were inconvenienced. We feel a rise in tension,” explains the pharmacist.
Securing the gallery is mentioned by all traders. “No one comes anymore because people are afraid. With most of the shops closed, we only see one activity: that of the dealers,” explains one of them. Nevertheless, Loïc Bergeon wants to remain positive: “I am full of hope for the shopping center, if we have security, access to parking and if we can expand. We would like to increase to 500 m², we would bring significant animation. »
The return of InCité
The abandonment of the demolition-reconstruction project for the shopping center by the private company Ville Envie puts the public lessor InCité back at the heart of the game. While it was due to transfer the property in 2024, it is forced to remain operator of the shopping center. And to imagine a future, with the municipality. The town hall has announced restoration work, as well as the demolition of the shops burned in 2018, before the summer of 2025. Then, it will be necessary to rebuild a long-term project, with residents and traders.
