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Thursday morning, several searches carried out by the Paris prosecutor's office were carried out in the premises of the Metropolis of Nice, chaired by Christian Estrosi.
These followed the opening of a judicial investigation last November for suspicions of "influence peddling", "organized gang scam", "abuse of social property" and "forgery and use of forgery", in connection with the "Iconic" project supported by the City and the Metropolis.
A gigantic building under construction near the Nice-Ville station, struck, it seems, with the seal of the curse.
Designed by Daniel Libeskind, author of the Jewish Museum in Berlin, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and Crystals in Las Vegas, this "diamond" of glass and steel aims to become one of the jewels of the fifth city of France, both from an architectural point of view and in terms of the economic attractiveness it should generate.
Built by the Compagnie de Phalsbourg and Fond Immo, in partnership with the City and the Nice Côte d'Azur Metropolis, this whimsical 80 million euro building involves the creation of an 18,300 square meter complex comprising shops, restaurants, luxury hotel and leisure.
In a press release, the Nice Côte d'Azur Metropolis presents it as "
a link between the northern and southern districts today.
".
It must create,
in fine, "a new centrality around the Thiers station and as far as the South station."
Read alsoNice: searches carried out in the premises of the Metropolis chaired by Christian Estrosi
A Hilton hotel - a brand currently absent from the Côte d'Azur - will notably strengthen the tourist image of Nice.
In the same way, it was planned to create a 600-seat performance hall.
A format currently missing in Nice and supposed to promote the animation of the district in the evening, by attracting
"a new and diversified population"
, according to the Metropolis.
Initially allocated to the National Theater of Nice (TNN), the room was however abandoned by decision of the mayor and president of the Metropolis, Christian Estrosi, last November.
“After studies, it turns out that the project cannot technically meet our expectations.
Especially with regard to the height of the ceilings”
, he then justified, announcing that the TNN would finally settle down in May in the heart of the amphitheater of the Roman arenas of Cimiez, north of the city.
Covid-19, compliance issues and compulsory liquidation
A decision that had provoked anger and indignation, especially on the side of the ecological opposition.
“
We were sold from the start that there would be a 500-seat theater at Iconic.
And now we are told Cimiez, but it's just to find a solution because the Iconic room is not possible
, had scolded Juliette Chesnel Leroux
.
The scandal is that from the beginning we sold the destruction of a building to the Minister of Culture (Le TNN, NDLR) by promising a room whose land use plan we did not check.
It's no match for a city that claims to be European Capital of Culture.
»
Read alsoNice: the arenas of Cimiez will soon be transformed into “a permanent theater”
The creation of coworking spaces is also highlighted in the construction of Iconic, with the aim of welcoming freelancers, creators of start-ups, and mobile professionals.
The building will also have a new retail offer with brands allowing the shopping route of Avenue Jean-Médecin to be continued towards the top of the city, as well as three restaurants and a café - including a restaurant panoramic with 185 square meters of terrace.
Under construction since 2017 - Christian Estrosi had symbolically laid the first stone on November 16 - Iconic was to be delivered in 2019 before undergoing several postponements, in particular linked to the Covid-19 pandemic but also to compliance problems with its steel structure. .
Some of what had already been achieved had to be deconstructed, adding further delay to delay.
And that was without counting on the placement in compulsory liquidation, in April 2022, of the company EGBI Perrin, whose client was the contracting authority of Iconic, the Phalsbourg company, which is carrying out the bulk of the site.
In
Nice Matin
, the latter's South-East director assured at the end of last year: "
Iconic is following the announced schedule with delivery of the building to the various tenants from the end of September 2022.
" Finally announced for the current year 2023, the building has however - good news - found a private buyer at its theater shunned by the Metropolis.
