On the sidelines of the meeting with the Bouches-du-Rhône Business Union, “the closure of Galeries Lafayette is seen as a significant commercial loss for the city center and its attractiveness“, denounces Marc Pietrosino, employee of Fnac and in charge of the Commerce branch within the UD CGT 13. We were aware that there were difficulties in Marseille. We thought there would be a closure and that it would rather be that of the Prado. We We were still surprised that the two stores were closed in Marseille.“
Faced with this difficult situation, union representatives plan to support employees in their demands to obtain reclassifications and also plan to explore alternative solutions, such as the possibility of developing other activities on the site. There remains the question of maintaining Fnac after the closure of Galeries Lafayette at the end of the year, and more broadly the future of the Center Bourse.
The judicial city in place of Galeries Lafayette?
The next move? A project which would avoid leaving an empty shell, a commercial wasteland, in the heart of the city and which “would destabilize the entire center“, underlines Jean-Luc Chauvin. Galeries Lafayette, owners of the 22,000 m² of premises at the Center Bourse, could drag down the rest of the commercial site with their fall. A disaster scenario to be avoided. But which must nevertheless be anticipated.”It's been over a year since I expressed this fearsupports the president of the CCIAMP. CIt also revives the debate on the vacant premises on the site.“
The Marseillais quickly evokes an overview with the establishment of a judicial city which could be installed in its place, but also “departure from the various judicial sites in the heart of the city“.
-The project announced by Martine Vassal, president of the Metropolis and the Department, to install the local authority in place of the existing judicial city. “Establishing the courts in place of Galeries Lafayette would allow a less expensive project and not wait until 2033-2035. The Euromed site initially planned would then be sold for an economic activity“.
The idea is then to keep legal professionals in the heart of the city and create flow. On this point, the president of the Metropolis acquiesces. “A city center must be dynamic. The flow must remain important to (re)live the attractiveness. I will support this initiative“, she assures, while thinking of the blow experienced by the employees.
