Surprise at the deconstruction site of the Acropolis Convention Center which began at the start of May. Christian Estrosi reveals, this Thursday, June 8, that the rate of asbestos present is three times higher than expected.
“We are going to spend an additional month on asbestos removal than initially planned because we found three times more asbestos than what we had been informed at the start,” announces Christian Estrosi, mayor of Nice, at the foot of the Acropolis. Behind him, cranes are active around the glass roofs undergoing asbestos removal.
“Here, asbestos is found in the joints, in the window putty,” specifies Sonia De Spigeleir, project manager of the deconstruction at Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur. The waste, like the workers, undergoes a strict protocol to exit the area, decontaminated.
The subject is “sensitive”, recognized the official from Nice. But it is not really a scoop. The building was constructed in 1984 while the ban on the use of asbestos in France dates back to 1997. The Acropolis is thus well representative of its era.
The city of Nice and the teams in charge of the project confirm that the asbestos present in the building did not pose any dangers to those who worked there and to those who enjoyed the activities offered before its closure. “Asbestos, as long as it is encapsulated, as long as it is trapped in a material, it does not present a health risk“, explains Nicolas Arbona, chief engineer of the Promenade du Paillon project.
No delay in the work
Despite this unexpected discovery, the schedule is being met. No delay is expected. The deconstruction phase began at the start of May, after the closure of the site in January and once contentious appeals were concluded. Currently, there is talk of clearing and asbestos removal on contaminated surfaces.
By July 2023 and for a year, the work should be visible from the outside. “Throughout the summer, we’ll gradually see the two ends (north and south) begin to lower significantly, and new landscapes gradually appear,” explains Christian Estrosi. The project is expected to be completed in the second half of 2025.
This unpleasant surprise also does not lead to additional costs. Recall, the deconstruction budget of the Convention Center amounts to ten million euros.
A “virtuous” circle
Ecological transition is at the heart of the reasons inherent to this project. The site in activity along with that of the TNN emitted 1,700 tons of CO2 per year. The overall project is to create an 8-hectare urban forest in the extension of the already existing Promenade du Paillon. The idea is to create a significant cool zone in the heart of the city. “We are building an insurance for the future,” shares Richard Chemla, deputy mayor for Ecological and Energy Transition, Health, and Well-being.
“We are not going to demolish the building, but we are going to try to recover a maximum of elements, well beyond the regulations.” Thus, concretely on the site, integrating the environmental notion involves sorting and recycling. The ambition displayed exceeds the legal framework which sets a rate at 70%. Nicolas Arbona declares: “The target for recycling, reuse, and revaluation is over 90%.”