by Albert Kadochian
Passy street in Paris is being transformed for the 2024 Olympic Games
Rue de Passy is more than a commercial street in Paris. It is the entry of one of the Paris Butte (such as Butte Montmartre), entry of the “Village de Passy”, whose most famous resident is Honoré de Balzac. Exactly located at this gate, at the beginning of rue de Passy, and the beginning of its Butte, Rue de Passy has seen its business owners each having their property bought one by one intending to demolish it all and turn it into a 5-star hotel to host visitors for the Olympic games. This construction had been on a 2 year long hiatus due to COVID-19 but has recently picked up its pace.
For example, a hotel sign has been put up above the bakery Desgranges which is in the center of said street.
Besides that said bakery had been open for 35+ years, The destruction of these buildings will force many tenants who had been living there to move out, possibly becoming homeless, as rents are becoming higher and higher, and offers are collapsing; Not to mention the help center for the blind that is also being threatened by this construction.
This situation is a double-edged sword as this will create a lot of profits, but at the same time is hurting the local businesses and citizens.
Opinions on this situation vary, but mostly come down to a simple factor: If the person lives nearby or is used to buying their food or living there or whatnot, They will have a very negative view of the situation, or maybe of the Olympic games as a whole, viewing it as an example of greed. However, those who have no connection to this street will focus on the lucrative aspect of the situation.
Despite the recent action to finish the project, demolition and construction remain unbegun. Given that they are only given a year to complete this construction, they may not manage to build it in time without a significantly higher budget.
This project has been the subject of many agitated discussions that could be regarded as political-themed; Some describe it as “urbanizing smaller areas”, ruining the charm and coziness of it, while others view it as “economically expanding” said area.
However, this cold war between different mindsets will only remain until 2024 when it will be confirmed whether or not the buildings will be destroyed.
The Tower Times Blog 