SUBURB EYEING AN OLYMPIC BOOST

Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine hopes Paris Games will change its reputation and infrastructure

From the windows of Les Bons Vivants cafe, a short walk from the athletes’ village for the Paris Olympics, the changes under way in the once run-down neighbourhood are instantly visible.

Next door, the makeover of the 130-metre Tour Pleyel skyscraper is nearly complete, turning the 1970s eyesore into a modern landmark that will host a four-star hotel and a pool with panoramic views.

Its private owner started the €500 million (S$728.2 million) renovation in anticipation of an Olympics dividend for the Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine area, which has been a focus of public investment for the July 26-Aug 11 Paris Games.

Around the corner from the cafe, a newly completed apartment block with a modern facade of concrete and wood stands opposite relics of the past – scruffy two-storey brick buildings hosting garages and kebab shops.

A brand-new station – Saint-Denis Pleyel – is also emerging from a mass of cranes and scaffolding, set to one day be a hub for four metro lines and 250,000 daily travellers.

“It’s taking time but after the Games, it’s going to be good,” said Ethan, a 28-year-old waiter at Les Bons Vivants. “As soon as they’re finished, all the infrastructure will be for the town.”