eDitORial
The bright yellow Mimosas are fading and little white blossoms are popping out on bare branches. While I write this, the streets of Nice and Menton are filled with colourful floats for the Carnival parade. Spring is just around the corner, the season of change that’s anticipated everywhere in the world for the return of the warm sun, and here in the Riviera, the start of the new tourist season. But change isn’t just for the seasons change is everywhere. The beginning of the new decade brought with it a significant change with the exit of Britain from the EU (read a letter from the French Ministry on page 13) and the upcoming municipal elections could bring changes to some of our cities (page 14). But there are lots of little changes that slowly accumulate right under our noses, often without notice. We often go about our day, too busy to notice a new shop here or a new building there, until one day we look up and see a completely new skyline. For me, the last few months have been dominated by new city developments, grand openings and inaugurations. So it is only fitting that this Real Estate special (starting page 26) is focused on the biggest changes coming to the area - the massive developments that will change the South of France forever. On the residential side, 2019 numbers show the market is holding steady but after you read this special, you may want to double-down on your local investment. Between Monaco, Nice and Cannes, there are some mega plans in the works, already approved and some even half-way built. The cover features the most ambitious and complicated construction project the Principality has ever undertaken (page 36) - even more than the current ‘most ambitious’ land extension project. By 2030, the Cote d’Azur will be an internationally recognised centre for creative arts, technology and advanced medicine. These changes are real, they are coming and I’m telling you now, get ready for it. ● NICOLE RUSKELL
MaRch / aPRil 2020