La Samaritaine, flagship of the war against the middle class Article pagination<

If, when La Samaritaine closed in 2005, investors had announced what they intended to do, they would have caused a riot. So we first had to calm things down. Pretend to do B when we were doing A. Claim major work to bring it up to standard, launch a rather modest first project, face appeals. And finally, get down to business. Time and oblivion having done their work, it was possible to announce what was planned: a luxury hotel, lofts for Saudi princes, a luxury commercial program in the historic part of the building, facing the Seine . On the Rivoli side, 85% of the building is rebuilt by Sanaa and offers a mixed program made up of high-end tertiary, social housing and even a 60-place crèche. The account is there. No complaints. The city did what was expected of it by imposing a share of social housing on the prestigious reconversion program. Between the very rich for whom the new Samaritan is intended, and the very poor for whom the social housing is intended, there remains a majority who can legitimately feel aggrieved. It is this famous middle class, against which Paris is waging a merciless war. They were the customers of the historic shopping center and they are completely ousted from the picture. Neither what is sold there, nor the palace, nor the breathtaking view of the Seine are intended for them. As for social housing, they will go to those who keep the city of the super-rich running. You need a lot of staff in this type of high value-added program: sweepers, security guards, cleaning ladies.

By visiting the new Samaritaine on June 21, two days before its opening, Emmanuel Macron only greeted those for whom he works. The top 5% of the pyramid. The others will never set foot in New Samaritaine. It is very likely that they will not even live in Paris anymore. In a completely different context, a building in the 18th arrondissement that I know well, three families with children are preparing to leave the capital for good because they cannot find accommodation there. Too rich for social housing, too atypical for the intermediary, too poor for private accommodation. Single mothers, couples with only one salary and little ones who have grown up, they find themselves trapped in apartments that are too small. Some take advantage of the virtualization of work to leave the city. Angouleme, Nice, Colombes. At the adjoining elementary school, a class will close again this year. This is the hidden face of the virtuous luxury/social cocktail displayed with great pomp at La Samaritaine. And it is this middle class that the historic shopping center was aimed at. They did well to tear it down. No longer having their place in the new Paris of the super-rich, they have been gone for quite some time now.