In the end, they succeeded. The addition of polemics around the project to renovate the Gare du Nord finally killed in the bud what promised to be one of the gateways to the capital — a showcase for some — of French urban engineering.
The challenge was certainly daring. Beyond the controversy over the number of square meters dedicated to trade, the failure of this project questions the ability of actors, of all actors, to work together on the immense challenge that awaits them in the coming decades: rebuilding the city upon the city.
First, the challenge of loyalty. It is fundamental in business. It is needed in society. Here, everyone blames themselves. Ceetrus Accuse her SNCF of “unilateral rupture”, its CEO, Antoine Grolin, recalling that the teams of Stations & Connexion, shareholder of StationOrd, “are well aware of everything that is happening, everything is transparent.” For its part, the railway group argues that costs and delays have exploded to justify its decision to cancel the concession contract.
Let's talk about deadlines. All the urban projects initiated over the years seem to have the same closure date: summer 2024 and the Olympic Games. The future Grand Paris Express lines are at stake as well as the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris. But why would the future of such infrastructures or the calendar for the revival of such a national treasure be linked to 15 days of sports competition in the middle of August? From the start, the imposed schedule questioned the ability to deliver such an opus on time. Not only because the operator chosen following a call for tenders was new to the subject. But above all, because the accumulation of norms in urban planning law and the fragmentation of decision-making centers makes the mission impossible. Just look at the relentless legal battle waged by Solideo to provide the minimum facilities for the Olympics, despite accelerated procedures for the preparation of urban planning authorizations.
Finally, there is the question of resources. The project to renovate the Gare du Nord did not require any public funding in an anti-COVID context where the concept of “whatever it takes” did not exist. Voices have been raised against a possible privatization of the city factory. With solid arguments. Others answered them about the need to reform the pact between politicians, who are primarily responsible for the life of the city, and the private actors who intend to build it... provided that they make a profit from it.
While waiting to reconcile the supporters of each camp, the failure of the project to renovate the Gare du Nord sounds like another punch in this pact, which, if it is ever to prosper, must be based on mutual trust.