In Toulouse, the Saint-Michel neighborhood committee supports the Department’s project to replace the prison

In Toulouse, the Saint-Michel district committee supports the Department’s project to replace the prison, the symbol of the district, built in the 19th century and closed for thirteen years now. The State organized in conjunction with the Metropolis of Toulouse a call for ideas
for the development of the site. Around ten projects were submitted at the end of October and are currently being examined.

One project is known, that of the Haute-Garonne department. The Department is ready to buy the place to build a college, cultural spaces and shops as well as social housing. A project therefore supported by the Saint-Michel district committee and its president. Guillaume Drijard was our guest this Friday morning. He fears that the site will be sold to private promoters.

“It’s this public nature of public contracting that we really like. That’s why we think there must first be a dialogue with the Department to see if it’s ready to acquire the site in the short term to develop its project. And if that cannot be done, the State should turn to the private sector. We do not want speculation on the site. If there is a call for competition means that we have every chance that it is the best bidder financially who wins the call for tenders, therefore the one who builds the most housing.

The Prefecture, for its part, assures that the selected project will respect “integration into the neighborhood, the collective interest, with green spaces, and heritage preservation”. A call for tenders should soon be launched for a sale of the site expected next year. In the meantime, an exhibition has been on offer since Thursday and until December 31 on Alfred Nakache, the swimmer from Auschwitz.