“I'm shocked. But why? It pains us to see our little butcher shop like this“. In front of the still smoking metal sheets of the Sitis supermarket, in the heart of the Saint-Jean district of Châteauroux, Sarah and Kaïna are disappointed. Like many residents, they discovered when they woke up that this business of around 1,000 square meters had been totally destroyed by arson fire. There is no doubt: two young people were seen entering the business, which appears to be confirmed by video surveillance. The firefighters were alerted at 2 a.m., they managed to prevent the fire from spreading to La Poste, but the latter will still be closed for several days, because soot was deposited there. It was a landscape of desolation that the inhabitants contemplated this Tuesday, December 17 in the morning.
An institution within the neighborhood
The Sitis supermarket is a real institution, and attracts customers beyond just the districts of Saint-Jean and Saint-Jacques. “He is a merchant who has been present in the neighborhood for more than 30 years, so he is obviously very emblematic” recalls Imane Jbara-Sounni, deputy mayor of Châteauroux and departmental councilor in charge of this canton. “There are a lot of elderly people who live in the neighborhood, and some of them do not have means of transportation to go to shopping centers, etc. and at Sitis they still found everything” worries the elected official, who herself grew up in the Saint-Jean district. The business had the particularity of offering halal, Mediterranean, African, and even Indian Ocean products. Which may have attracted many people, encourage exchanges.It's a place where we meet people, where we say hello. We come to do our shopping, and then we get news at the same time“explain Sarah and Kaïna.
Several residents emphasize the recent administrative closure of the tobacco barlocated just opposite the Sitis supermarket. For them, that’s two fewer businesses, two fewer places to live. “The city is cooked, it is dead. It's going to be a town of retirees, there won't be anyone left (…) Anyway, there's a mess everywhere“, Marie annoys.
“We are working hard to ensure there is life in the neighborhood”
The traders located nearby also share the concerns and sadness of the residents. “We are working hard to keep the neighborhood alive, to keep things going well, and it's true that it's annoying… We have the impression that despite all that, they're putting obstacles in our way, it's is a bit demoralizing. It's sad, it's boring” testifies Anne Labaye, pharmacist located just a few meters from the supermarket. “The people are very nice, we get along well with everyone, there is really a neighborhood life, we all help each other” nevertheless wishes to emphasize this trader. She fears a drop in attendance, because the Sitis was attracting many people. The deputy mayor, Imane Jbarra-Sounni tries to reassure her on this level. “You should know that the shopping center is part of the urban renovation program, it was planned to completely redo it” specifies the elected official. Yes, but how long will it take? There is currently no precise timetable.
