In the wake of the first orientations unveiled during the Assises de la Mer in 2021 then the recommendations of the “Mission port” entrusted to Oliver Bettati – a consultation with the inhabitants and the professionals which resulted in a report submitted to the community -, the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis, is beginning to redesign the future of this historic infrastructure. And imagine the urban reconquest of which it will be the object; a process initiated with the installation of the port station of line 2 of the tramway on the Quai Napoléon 1is and the awarding of the competition for the redevelopment of the Place Ile de Beauté to Yves Lion.
Nice: Yves Lion at the bedside of the Place Ile de Beauté
« I want to reconnect the port to the city, make it a Mecca for the art of living à la niçoise, in line with our classification as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. confirms Christian Estrosi, President of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis, owner of the port since January 2017.
Quai Infernet cultural center
Vegetation, enlarged and requalified public spaces, new urban and landscape continuity between the city and the port, installation of terraces, development of an auction for fishermen on the Quai Lunel… These principles were defined following studies carried out by the CCI Nice Côte d’Azur, the current port manager associated with the Es-Pace agency for the Infernet quay and by the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis for the Lunel and Deux Emmanuel quays. And this development plan will be used to schedule future project management consultations to make these projects operational.
The most dramatic change is to the Infernet area, the western entrance to the port. Exit the surface car park “ where only cars have a view of the harbor », place in a garden overhanging the body of water with restaurants and shops under large awnings. In the interior volume, is planned the establishment on 5,000 m2 of the Mediterranean Pavilion, a “ cultural, technological and scientific center “bringing together playful, educational and conference spaces but also ” a coral conservation city ».
The modus operandi under study
The quay itself will be dedicated to accommodating cruise ships of less than 140 meters and large pleasure craft. The Métropole is also committed to reinforcing the large dyke, a mandatory port project which could help develop the production of renewable energies such as thalossothermy to supply the district, the infrastructures and the ships. The ambition is to make it a work with positive energy.
The “vehicle” for this transformation and the making of the necessary investments is currently being studied: creation of a port company with the Metropolis, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region and the CCI as shareholders, which would become the new manager and operator of investments, of a Sem, use of public service delegation, etc. The challenge will also be to succeed in reconciling this urban transformation with maintaining the commercial functions of the port.
In charge of infrastructure management until 2038 as part of a tool concession (management of 23 hectares of the port, including 15 hectares of water), the Nice Côte d’Azur CCI is involved in the process and deepens the studies in progress. These new orientations have however led it to classify for the time being without follow-up the consultation of project management that it had launched in 2020 for the requalification of the Lympia basin.
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