This Tuesday, September 10, following the signing of the Rhone Gard city contract for the period 2024-2030, the prefect of Gard, Jérôme Bonet, also signed, in the presence of the mayor of Bagnols-sur-Cèze, Jean- Yves Chapelet, and the president of the agglomeration, Jean-Christian Rey, the number one rider to the convention for the amplification of the NPNRU project concerning the urban renovation of the Escanaux district.
A signing which took place in two stages: first at the foot of the G2 tower, which will soon be demolished, then on the square of the renovated pyramid, which will be inaugurated on September 12.
Urban renovation of the Escanaux district, for the dignity and comfort of residents
The urban renewal project for the Escanaux district was sealed on March 14, 2022. It provides in its initial version:
- The demolition of 3 buildings for a total of 143 social housing units.
- The reconstruction of 143 social housing units, including 60% in the Gard Rhodanien region.
- The reconversion of the Cèdres site located at the entrance to the town.
- Financing project management.
Thanks to the strong desire to strengthen the NPNRU des Escanaux, which is at the heart of the overall project to revitalize the town of Bagnols-sur-Cèze, a request for amplification was validated by the ANRU commitment committee on February 13, 2023. This amplification allows the financing by the ANRU and partners of the following additional operations, this is the purpose of this amendment no. 1 to the NPNRU agreement:
- The demolition of 3 additional buildings representing 158 LLS: the G1 tower (88 LLS), the Mayre Sud residence (40 LLS) and the partial demolition of the Les Platanes residence (30 LLS).
- The BBC requalification of the preserved part of the Platanes residence (30 LLS).
- The reconstruction of 158 social housing units, including 60% in other municipalities in the Rhone Gard region.
- Aid for reducing rents to facilitate the rehousing of certain households.
It should be noted that work has already started, in particular by the start of the rehousing of households in the buildings affected by the additional demolitions. Today, this signature also coincides with the launch of the demolitions of the G2 tower and the Mayre Nord residence, two flagship operations of the project following the demolition of the Carcaixent wasteland carried out at the end of 2023.
In his speech, Jean-Yves Chapelet underlined “an act of faith in the future of the city. Evoking a crucial moment and a renewed promise to every resident of this neighborhood who deserves dignity, comfort, and security.”
“Since 2019, we have undertaken a profound and lasting transformation, giving life and hope to residents. The Allée des jeux, the renovation of the Jules Ferry school, the Léo-Lagrange stadium, and the demolition of the Carcaixent wasteland are all achievements which embody this renewal. This urban renewal project illustrates the challenges we face, in particular the slowness of administrative processes and the perseverance of political will”, also added Jean-Yves Chapelet on the subject of this urban renovation which represents 56 million euros mobilized ” for the demolition of three additional buildings, the energy requalification of the Les Platanes residence, and the reconstruction of social housing.”
The Bagnolais councilor also referred to the speech of the former Minister of Housing Emmanuelle Wargon, during her visit in 2022 to the Escanaux district: “We must bring the project, the hope, the reality, that it will change, that it will happen, that the promises will be kept. » What we are undertaking here goes beyond the simple transformation of a neighborhood. “We demonstrate that public action, carried out with determination and perseverance, really changes people’s lives. With the launch of the demolition of the G2 tower and the Mayre Nord residence, we are opening a new, more promising chapter. By the end of 2024, we will see three major advances: the inauguration of La Pyramide, the opening of the Aubaresto residence, and the demolition of two buildings at the entrance to our city, freeing new spaces for a reinvented future,” he concluded.
For his part, Jean-Christian Rey recalled the history of the Escanaux district, closely linked to the arrival of nuclear power and the Marcoule power station 70 years ago. “After looking for a location for the power plant, we had to look for and find attractive accommodation for Marcoule engineers and subcontractors. The neighborhood imagined by Georges Candilis at the time was revolutionary. 70 years later, history is being written again with a place that changes according to the needs of the inhabitants who have evolved but which are still linked to the attractiveness and economic development of the territory.”
Finally, the Prefect of Gard Jérôme Bonet insisted on the fact that “the history of the district is important and that this urban renovation is not a correction of the past but the demolition then the reconstruction of a place of life and history of many families.
And also:
Demolition work will begin in November for the G2 tower and in January 2025 for the Mayre Nord residence building. As a reminder, the G2 tower experienced a terrible tragedy in August 2018, costing the life of a forty-year-old woman trapped by the flames.
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