They had to close the curtain on their businesses two weeks ago but the reopening will still have to wait... After having closed their shops on March 10 because of a building threatening to collapse in the rue des Puits-Clos, the twenty of traders in this area of the Esquirol district in Toulouse (Haute-Garonne) now know the results of the assessments on the condition of the building.
The expert commissioned by the Toulouse administrative court judges the building to be "at the end of its life", weakened by the collapse of the neighboring building on rue Saint-Rome on March 9.
He advocates its demolition, a decision that falls to the owners of the building.
The latter have already requested the town hall to secure it.
“They are not in the financial capacity to do it themselves, so sensors will be placed to monitor possible movements,” explains Jean-Luc Moudenc, the mayor of Toulouse.
“On demolition, it’s up to the owners to decide and if they don’t have the necessary money, we will discuss it with them.”
Several streets around this building remain closed, the nightmare continues for traders forced to lower the curtain two weeks ago.
Some have managed to obtain compensation for the operating loss from their insurance companies but others are still struggling with the administrative procedures.
They are notably supported by the services of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the regional council.
A new meeting with town hall services is planned for Tuesday March 26, but traders already know that they will not be able to reopen.
Valérie Tempette is the owner of the tobacco shop Le Saint-Rome, located a few meters from the building under surveillance.
LP/Rémy Gabalda
“The problem is this lack of visibility on the reopening date which blocks procedures with the banker, suppliers, insurers,” underlines Valérie Tempette, owner of the Le Saint-Rome tobacconist located a few meters from the building under surveillance.
If it is closed for six months, I will close the door, but if it is a month and a half or two months, I will be able to hold on, provided that the insurance companies cover the operating loss, this which is not the case for everyone.
Obviously the street must be secure but for us, it is a very burdensome situation.”
A plan to safeguard and enhance the old center
To avoid finding ourselves in such an emergency situation, the mayor presented this Monday, March 25, the Protection and Development Plan (PSMV) which will come into force in 2025 in the old center.
The perimeter of the Remarkable Heritage Site was defined in the 1980s but no prescriptive content had been developed.
Unlike other large metropolises, the Pink City did not have one and therefore worked for ten years on this area which covers 255 hectares, the largest in France after Laon.
This urban planning document takes into account the heritage approach and offers tools to the community for urban planning.
The town hall will be able to better support private owners with renovations and have diagnostics inside buildings, which is not the case today.
“This makes owners eligible for the Malraux law, allowing tax exemption for the additional costs linked to the historic character,” explains Annette Laigneau, town planning assistant.
“It’s a necessity to respond to what happened in order to be able to ensure that work inside does not weaken an entire building.”
A deliberation on the PSMV is planned for a vote at the next municipal council on March 29.