Toulouse: what future for Place Wilson?
Place Wilson benefits from a prime location between the Jean-Jaurès metro station and the Capitole. However, its attendance has changed since the closure of shops.
An essential passage between the Jean-Jaurès metro station and the Capitole, Place Wilson offers a welcome break in the heart of Toulouse with its Lafayette square, where the statue of the poet Pierre Goudouli dozes. Listed as a Historic Monument, this square stops the race of many passers-by who like to sit on the benches, in the shade of the tall trees, while listening to the music played by the big merry-go-round, the only family attraction in the place. But the idyllic setting stops there.
With three ground floors currently unoccupied, Place Wilson bears the scars of the closures of the Orange boutique, the high-end clothing store “Les Gémeaux” and the Wilson café. The three are located in a row, to the right of the Gaumont-Wilson cinema, which accentuates the effect of emptiness on the oval of the square.
“I’m sorry to see that part of the square is closed, I don’t understand,” asks Philippe Castel, the manager of the Metro pharmacy, which is on the corner of rue Roosewelt. “The fault is exorbitant rents”, denounces Elias Rijeny, the owner of the Lebanese restaurant Le Byblos. “In my opinion, the big negative point of Wilson is the poor attendance at the Jean-Jaurès metro station and the square. This place which should be friendly and warm has become infamous. Today, Place Wilson is no more than a crossing point, people cross it without stopping, while all the traders will tell you, the world will bring the world back,” adds Elias Rijeny.
The Frigate and the Carpaccio
And what better than a quality bar or restaurant to breathe life into a square! As testified in its time, the Frégate, a Mecca for Toulouse gastronomy which made the heyday of the place until 2009. Or the pizzeria “Le Carpaccio”, which after having reigned supreme over Wilson for 15 years , ended up bowing out in 2005. Long abandoned, the Frégat premises were bought by Mutuelle du Rempart in May 2019, which kept the restaurant’s counter and beer dispenser. “And the old nightclub in the basement is used to store our stocks,” says Jean-Paul, from the Optique store, located on the ground floor of the building. As for the walls of the Carpaccio, they are now the property of the bank – insurance LCL.
The establishment of these new brands has compensated for stalling the life of Place Wilson on their opening hours. “As soon as the shops ferment, the square empties. There are not enough restaurant offers. In addition, the UGC has closed and people have moved to Victor-Hugo’s bars,” notes Jorge Da Silva, manager of the Pino restaurant. Right next door, at the Bon Vivre, there has been no second service for a long time, “people no longer come to dinner after the show even if we serve until 11:30 p.m. has a bad atmosphere, that doesn’t help,” recognizes chef Alain Durand.
“This square is good because there is a lot of traffic, but in the evening it’s the area with the dealers and the homeless. I and I’m not complaining, but it would take luxury shops that work for another clientele, ”slips in turn, Pascal Franco, from Häagen Dazs. A timely wish, since the Thierry Oldak group, owner of the walls of the Café Wilson and the Les Gémeaux store, announces the arrival of “two internationally renowned, hyperchic brands, which will revolutionize the place, during the summer “. To be continued then…
“His problem is insecurity and cleanliness”
Elias Rijeny, manager of the Lebanese restaurant Byblos and representative of the merchants of Place Wilson. Maintenance.
When did you move to Place Wilson?
Since 2003, about twenty years. At the time, I chose this location because it was right downtown and had a wonderful park. The metro wasn’t there yet, so there was a lot of traffic and the square was very lively, even more so than the Place du Capitole.
And today ?
She is dead, there are only empty shops because of the exorbitant rents. For example, Orange, which was there at the corner, paid 30,000 euros per month. Les Gémeaux and Café Wilson were bought by the Oldak real estate group and have been closed for two years.
What about the attendance of the place?
People don’t come as they used to, they just pass by. And the metro drained into the center of cities, young people from the neighborhoods. Many take-away brands have set up, they attract a lot of young people and that’s not our clientele. Finally in the evening, there are all the mopeds of Uber Eats.
Many restaurateurs denounce the little known side of the square in the evening and you?
Yes, at night it sucks. Besides, I asked that we prune the shrubs in the lower park because they have become pissoirs. All day long, we keep order between the people who are begging, it’s catastrophic. I think the elected officials have completely forgotten this place, yet it is one of the most beautiful in Toulouse. But today, his problem is insecurity and cleanliness.
How has your establishment evolved?
At the start, we had the small Byblos, 40 m 2, then we bought Cortal in May 2021 to expand, precisely because I still believe in this place. And I hope that one day or another it becomes pedestrian.
How do you explain that so many optician shops are opening. In Wilson, there are two…
It’s all the rage, as was the case with phone shops a few years ago. Besides here, Cartouche was bought by Jimmy Fairly.