The revitalization of the city center has been the workhorse of the city since 2014. The lungs of municipalities, shops and restaurants are the guarantee of their good health. An aspect that was sorely lacking in the city center of Dracénois.
In 2019, commercial space on rue Cisson, rue Mireur, rue République, place du Marché and boulevard Clemenceau averaged 37%. This is more than a third of empty premises.
A long way has come since then. In 2021, this drops to less than 7%. In particular thanks to the city center managers, on whom the municipality relies. They are two: Nathalie Valduriez inside the town hall, and Sophie Perrymon, at the Saiem building in Draguignan.
“I take care of finding project promoters commercial premises suitable for their needs, precisely on those supported by the Contract for the Craft and Commercial Revitalization (Crac)”explains Sophie Perrymon. “My work therefore has a more limited area, while Nathalie Valduriez can work in the rest of the city, such as Saint-Jaume or Saint-Léger”.
Their goal: to bring together supply and demand. “To do this, we spend a lot of time in discussions with project managers and then make visits.”
Real estate and cheap watch
A long-term work, which mixes interlocutors and multiple temporalities. “To achieve this goal it is necessary to constantly monitor the sale of real estate and the economic activity of the city as a whole: changes of activity, closures, moves, etc.”lists Sophie Perrymon, who became manager of the center in January 2019.
The project manager can count on a tool developed by the National Agency for Territorial Cohesion (ANCT): the “Local Exchange”. «It is a tool on which the real estate agents of the area inform the commercial properties offered for sale, allowing us to position ourselves, or to redirect the project managers to the agencies». Draguignan was one of five cities where the device was tested.
“We have to constantly adapt. For this reason, we have a meeting every two weeks with elected officials and technicians to take stock”continues. “It’s support at all times, sometimes even beyond the dealer setup. This is the case of Nathalie Valduriez, who, being inside the town hall, acts as a “one stop shop” to redirect traders to the right service, such as waste or urban planning.
An operational part
Sophie Perrymon’s work is not limited to facilitating the settlement of artisans. “From the configuration of the city center, made up of cells with a surface area ranging mainly from 30 to 50 square meters, we are witnessing a real restructuring of the commercial landscape (read below)“explain before illustrating. “What was done, for example, for the Saint Peter combining several commercial cells to create a restaurant.”
“This necessarily involves real estate acquisitions, works, project tenders and a series of administrative and legal procedures whose times are not the same as in the economy, adds Jean-Michel Cohen, general manager of Saim. In the current situation, and given the specifics, it shouldn’t be expected that some very popular brands will settle in Draguignan. “
In the meantime, the work seems to be paying off: “Demand now outstrips supply.”
