A pedestrian street in cobblestones, terraces and soon trees, this is what Place Sainte-Catherine now looks like, behind the cathedral, after the first stage of the project to revitalize the Bourg district.
The goal of the operation: pay tribute to this emblematic district of Friborg and attract tourists to this area. Moreover, Friborg Tourism opened an information point at the same time in the district, in addition to the current tourist office in the balance of balance. It will promote tourism in the district, sell tickets to go up to the cathedral and it will also present local products.
If the district has been infrequent for several years, it seems today to be reborn from its ashes. For Coline, a passerby who had not returned from the work, the place is pleasant. “It’s nice to be on this street without a car where there are people passing, where there are all generations and all kinds of population. I am convinced that the Friborg will come,” she says.
Accessibility of pavers at the heart of the debate
Among all the modifications made, the 1,700 tonnes of cobblestones attract the eye. Old residents even say they prefer to look at the ground rather than the imposing cathedral that sits in the middle of the neighborhood. One of them validates: “I didn’t really come here, but I think I’m going to go back because it’s really pretty”.
However, during the official part, several dozen demonstrators expressed their dissatisfaction. With their slogan “for us, it is not the party on the cobblestones”, people with disabilities pointed out the coating, not very suitable for rolling chairs, armchairs and visually impaired.
The municipal councilor Elias Moussa recalled that the installation of the pavers will still be adapted. The authorities have notably proposed to fill the interstices between the stones to facilitate travel. The trustee of Friborg, Thierry Steiert, explains: “We will try to find solutions as far as possible and in compliance with the principle of proportionality. What we are doing here is the result of a weighing of interests and that unfortunately cannot always please everyone”.
Shared merchants
Since May, some businesses have been watching an increase in the passage in the neighborhood. This is the case of Joy Pürro, bookseller in the area. “We hope that this street will become a place of passage. It starts well, because I have heard people say that they did not know the bookstore before,” she said.
For others, this revitalization leaves a bitter taste. Claudia Braillard is responsible for a clothing store. She would like to continue to rent the locals, but she is not sure to be able to stay. The owners would like to develop a wine bar instead. Already penalized during the work, she does not understand this will.
“I was penalized in 2019 with a hole just in front of my door and the last works brought dust up to half of the store. Fortunately I have a second activity, because if I was here every day, I would have lost everything. It is true that now that I am in front of this place which is very beautiful and that the work is finished, it would be the peak for me. It would be just that I stay there for a while”.
A few meters away, François Maillard, the representative of an art gallery, will also have to go. “The Régie prefers a bistro which is profitable, rather than an artist workshop. In my opinion, they are wrong, because bistros, there are already too much. The identity of the town is the galleries,” he explains. The association is currently looking for a new place to welcome them.
The work does not stop there. Next sites will start on Notre-Dame Place, the Porte de Morat or in the Grand Rue.
