It was in front of some 150 people that the elected officials of Cherbourg-en-Cotentin presented Monday evening, in the halls of the town hall, the project to modernize the pedestrian streets and squares of the historic center of Cherbourg. A project that worries many traders present last night and who are wondering about the economic impact of a project that should last about 2 and a half years and which is scheduled to be carried out at the same time as the construction of the new generation bus.
– Benoit Martin
7 million euros to have an up-to-date pedestrian center
The pedestrian plateau of Cherbourg is now outdated. Started 50 years ago and carried out in successive phases, it presents no unity and the particularly damaged floors have been “patched” in an unattractive way. “The ambition is to have a pedestrian area that is attractive and that energizes the city center and serves local commerce”, underlines the deputy mayor of Cherbourg-Octeville, Sébastien Fagnen. The bill is all the higher since the site will consist not only of reclaiming the soil, but also of modernize a number of pipelines and networks located underground.
Vegetation and reference to the port image of the city
In the project designed by the TN+ agency, after a long phase of consultation with the population, the choice was to refer to the industrial history of Cherbourg, using rusty-looking steel that will be present on street furniture but also in the pedestrian streets by forming a sort of channel in the center of the streets to collect rainwater. The ambition is also to create unity in the pedestrian center thanks to the light-coloured slabs and cobblestones, chosen as the new covering. New lighting will also be designed to highlight a number of notable buildings and buildings. Finally, the vegetation will make a comeback in the hypercentre. “97% of those questioned expressed their wish to find trees on Place de Gaulle”, explains Mayor Benoît Arrivé. The choice was made to replant 6 to 8 large trees of different species without obscuring the view of the restored facade of the theater. In addition, the choice was made to revegetate the streets by allowing plantations at the foot of buildings with climbing plants in particular.
– TN More
A calendar that is not unanimous
The town hall plans to start construction in the spring of 2023. The treatment of the various streets and squares concerned will be done gradually and the last developments should be finished at the end of 2025, i.e. after about 2 and a half years of work. But during the presentation to the public on Monday, many traders were worried about the parallel running of this construction site and that of the new generation Bus which is disrupting traffic. “The question of the calendar can be reworked”assures Benoît Arrivé, “but we must be clear and transparent: the project to transform the pedestrian streets was already postponed ten years ago and it will be difficult to wait very long. Moreover, today we have the means to devoted the necessary 7 million euros but given the uncertainties about the future, I do not know if we will still have these capacities in the future, in 6 or 7 years”.
Do everything to limit the impact for merchants
The town hall of Cherbourg-en-Cotentin is well aware that this project will have consequences on the frequentation of shops and draws the consequences by announcing the establishment of a compensation commission. This should compensate for the losses recorded by professionals faced with an expected reduction in their stores. Furthermore, the decision was made to stop the construction site for 5 weeks from the end of November for the end-of-year holiday periods. Finally, the elected officials ensure that efforts will be made to better communicate on the possibilities of circulating in the city and parking during all the works.