VIDEO. Toulouse: fire in Matabiau in a disused and squatted building, avenue de Lyon blocked
A fire broke out in one of the buildings being demolished, avenue de Lyon in Toulouse, at the corner of Matabiau station. Avenue de Lyon is closed to traffic.
A fire broke out this Tuesday at the end of the morning in a disused building near the Matabiau station in Toulouse. Firefighters are on site and have deployed the large ladder to control the disaster. Avenue de Lyon, at the bottom of Faubourg Bonnefoy, is cut off from traffic. The police have established a security perimeter. The building, destined for destruction, was weakened by the fire. It could be destroyed by anticipation.
This sector of Avenue de Lyon is being demolished to develop the future business district of Matabiau. Many buildings have been destroyed but those that are not yet, located to the right of Avenue de Lyon, have been squatted. It was in one of these buildings that the fire broke out. Firefighters are in the process of controlling the fire and effectively ensuring that no one is left in these dilapidated and condemned buildings.
A project started two years ago
The site began more than two years ago, in January 2020. Block by block, stone by stone, the diggers destroyed dozens of buildings on Avenue de Lyon and the adjacent streets.
The local public land establishment Europolia was presented to a hundred promoters, on February 9, 2022, the first land disposal plan. Buildings, green spaces, activities and shops must be built there from 2024.
Two blocks are initially concerned, at the very beginning of the avenue and along the boulevard Pierre Sémard. Three hundred housing units are planned there, including one hundred and twenty social housing units.
Buildings will grow, with green spaces and 5,700 m2 of activities and shops. An “intergenerational residence” of 2000 m2 is planned there. Between rue Chabanon and rue des Jumeaux, a social landlord will be chosen to build the new night stopover for vulnerable people, which will move from Saint-Cyprien. A hostel for young workers with 100 places will also be built there. All of the housing will be connected to the urban heating network, and the housing will be built with the most demanding environmental standards.
The first constructions will begin at the beginning of 2024. To liven up the huge unused spaces between 2022 and 2024, temporary activities will be installed on site, such as guinguettes or shared gardens.