After so much waiting, things are really moving at Liserons. The renovation of the housing stock in this dead-end street in the east of Nice has really begun in recent days.
In this district of some 2,000 inhabitants and 645 homes (600 of which are social housing units managed by Côte d’Azur habitat), the major manoeuvres will last several years.
The horizon 2029-2030 is mentioned. For the Metropolis, supported by the National Agency for Urban Renewal, the investment is substantial: 67 million euros.
190 homes destroyed
It is at the bottom of the impasse that it all begins: emptied of the inhabitants – all relocated off-site – of its 68 dwellings, one of the two buildings of the Turin Est residence will be demolished in the coming months. The preparatory work began in June.
During a “construction site café” with local residents, Anthony Borré, first deputy mayor Christian Estrosi, delegate for urban renewal, detailed the timetable: “Preparatory work and asbestos removal until November, then demolition by “nibbling” [petit bout par petit bout, pour ne pas ébranler les autres bâtiments] until early 2025.”
The other building of the residence (122 dwellings) will suffer the same fate; the rehousing operations – “the most complex” the elected official stressed – they are just starting out.
In place of these two buildings: the creation of a “green public space”88 new homes with free rental access and shops on the ground floor.
400 renovated homes
The residence opposite, Turin Ouest, will see its 65 apartments and its outdoor spaces renovated. Anthony Borré mentioned “works will start in 2026 for 18 months, with completion scheduled for mid-2027”.
In the next four years, the 333 homes in the Mont-Gros, Observatoire and Ponts-Jumeaux residences will also be rehabilitated. “to the highest standards”promised the man who is also president of Côte d’Azur habitat. “We are doing work for the next 30 or 40 years.”
In the program, “from September 2025: replacement of windows, waterproofing of the roof, common areas, technical equipment, electricity and plumbing, landing doors, individualization of water meters, replacement of water columns, repair of heating equipment…”listed the mayor’s right-hand man.
Six months of work are planned for Ponts-Jumeaux, thirteen for Mont-Gros and eight for the Observatory, where “as you requested”announced the elected official, a stairwell (i.e. twelve dwellings) will be razed.
Other arrangements
Several urban developments are also on the agenda. Starting with a turnaround area at the end of the dead-end, which will allow a shuttle to crisscross the hill. “We need to open it up”hammered Anthony Borré, acknowledging that “The public service is not up to par”.
A mixed football-basketball field, the construction of which is due to start “end of October”will also see the light of day on the roof of the Mont-Gros residence.
And in the longer term, the entrance to the A8 must be moved back to allow the transformation of the first 200 metres of the slip road into a metropolitan boulevard. It will create direct access to the upper part of the district from the Turin road, without going through the entrance to the dead-end.
“Changing the image of the neighborhood”
Many residents of the Liserons district came to listen to Anthony Borré, during the café-construction site organized on June 28, and to meet the services of the Métropole and Côte d’Azur habitat. Verdict: a mixed audience. Happy and circumspect. Enthusiastic and disillusioned.
Like this resident, child in her arm, who applauds the elected official announcing the work and then draws his gun when he asks for patience: “It’s not the work that’s bothering us, it’s the drug trafficking.”
In the audience, a mother nods: “I forbid my son to go out. And yet he is an adult”. She sighs: “The works will not prevent trafficking…”
Her neighbor agrees but prefers to be positive: “I thought it would never happen. For a long time, we were the forgotten people of Nice. We are finally being listened to… Between leaks and mold, some homes are close to being unsanitary. It is important to no longer be ashamed of where we live. Some parents forbid their children from coming to see ours. Maybe that can change the image of the neighborhood.”
Another resident of the impasse: “This is the label that needs to be removed. My 20-year-old son had to change the address on his CV to find a job. Otherwise, we would call him to ask if he was dealing. There are some very good young people here but they are automatically categorized.”
Further away, from the height of her early thirties, a woman observes the scene, looking detached. Her gaze exudes defiance. Cigarette in her ear, she grimaces: “Ils [les élus] are here to show that they are doing something. They are doing it, but a little late, right? They find funding more quickly for cycle paths in the city centre… All I hope for is to move. Demolition? That won’t change anything at all… Up there [elle vit dans une résidence du haut de l’impasse]we are talking about work that will be finished in four years. I hope I will no longer be here in four years.”
His neighbor is just as radical. Disillusioned. “The hot water is cut off three, four times a month. The entrances are swimming pools, we have water up to there [il montre ses semelles]… Isn’t that just makeup? And we pay 200 euros a month in charges for that! No, we have to break everything and redo it all.”
