After the new fire, the Couronneries are trying to revive

In front of one of the two pharmacies in Couronneries, a long line of customers, prescriptions in hand, stretches out on this Saturday, June 29, 2024. The pharmacy is open but no one goes in: it is one of those stores that was affected by a car ramming fire the previous morning.

Like the pharmacists, the managers of the Krys optical store have set up a temporary reception area outside the store. Both stores were affected by the fumes: it was impossible to welcome customers until they were completely cleaned due to the persistent smell of burning and fine particles.

Three times in twenty years

The opticians have also brought out the protective masks that we had forgotten since the end of the health crisis. For the moment, there is no question of taking new orders due to the lack of being able to properly welcome the customer. We simply deliver the glasses already made and take those to be repaired.

The dejection is visible on their faces. “That’s three times in twenty years”, recalls one of the traders. The previous arson dates back exactly a year, after the death of young Naël. The damaged stores are still waiting to be rebuilt. It is generally agreed that this new event should further delay the work.

A resident: “Before, it was a fairly chic neighborhood”

“I have seen this neighborhood change”, says this elderly lady who has lived in Couronneries since 1970. Like many residents, this Saturday morning, she came to see what the shopping centre looked like the day after the fire: chipboard panels had been erected to prevent any access to the bar and restaurant which were partly destroyed by the fire from the ramming car.

“Before, it was a fairly chic neighborhood, continues the retiree. There were all the shops, a jeweler, a butcher, a florist… They all closed. The atmosphere has changed too. Now, we are careful when we walk around, we lower our heads.”