This is a new step in the long series on the controversial transformation project of the Gare du Nord.
According to our information, the City of Paris has filed a free appeal with the regional prefect against the extension of the Gare du Nord.
The building permit was issued on July 6 despite opposition from the mayor of Paris and his environmental allies.
An appeal could be lodged within two months.
It is now done, just before the deadline Monday.
The Gare du Nord transformation project, launched in 2017 with the support of the City, then confirmed in 2019 after a series of public meetings, plans to fundamentally change the organization of the first station of Europe (700,000 travelers per day currently, 900,000 expected in 2030).
Access to the surface lines platform will be via walkways, and the current hall will only be used for exits.
A garden, a shopping center and trains.
The Gare du Nord 2024 project seen from above./Architect Valode and Pistre
A project financed by Ceetrus, a subsidiary of Auchan
In total, the area of the station is to be reduced from 75,000 square meters to 136,000 square meters.
In particular, 18,000 square meters of shops are planned (compared to 5,000 square meters currently), mainly on levels 2 and 3. They must take place above the suburbs of Gare du Nord.
Also on the program: 3,000 bicycle parking spaces and a 1.1 hectare high park, accessible to all.
All financed to the tune of 600 million euros by private money from Ceetrus, a subsidiary of Auchan.
This gigantic project, planned for the 2024 Olympics deadline above all to make this saturated station more fluid, was initially supported by the City of Paris which had given a favorable opinion in July 2019. But, during the municipal campaign, the mayor PS Anne Hidalgo had severely criticized the project.
Architects and town planners had also voiced criticism of the project qualified, pell-mell, as "architectural waste", "anti-ecological shopping center", or "anachronistic gigantism".
The work continues
After the failure of the consultation between the promoters of the project (SNCF and Ceetrus, united within StatioNord) and the City of Paris in the spring, the regional prefect finally issued the building permit on July 6.
A decision considered a "political aggression against the new mayor of Paris", then denounced the mayor PS of the 10th arrondissement, Alexandra Cordebard, who already mentioned the possibility of appeal.
The threat was therefore carried out.
But the appeal, gracious does not suspend the very first works which began on July 20.
A phase of dialogue should begin before a possible legal action this time.
At this stage, StatioNord refuses to comment.
In addition, the association of residents "Find the North of the North station" also seized the administrative court.
In this case, the appeal relates to the declaration of general interest of the station transformation project.
This collective disputes “the negative environmental impact of this shopping center”, “unrelated to the needs of the vast majority of station users”.
He defends a more modest “alternative project”, with “financial and energy sobriety”.
The hall should only be used for exiting.
/ Architect Valode and Pistre