By Chris Oddo | Friday February 3, 2017
Roland Garros announces that it has cleared all legal hurdles and is set to proceed with the site's renovation.
Photo Source: AFP
Roland Garros renovation will proceed without legal restrictions on the French Tennis Federation’s plans to renovate the grounds and add a roof to its fabled Court Philippe Chatrier, the tournament announced in a press release on Thursday.
Here is the official press release, provided by the tournament:
Following the judgements made by the Council of State and Paris Crown Court, the latest ruling by the Administrative Court of Paris' on 2nd February 2017 has extinguished the final jurisdictional flame held by protesters against the project to renovate Roland Garros.
By ruling against the fifty or so pleas of illegality raised, the Court has legalised all building permits for the project, which is crucial for the future of the Roland-Garros tournament and for French tennis. The French Tennis Federation (FFT) is delighted that justice and reason have finally won through.
Development work will therefore continue and the tournament’s enhancements – eagerly awaited by spectators, players, media and partners − will be revealed over the forthcoming editions.
In 2018, the new Village, new courts 7 and 9, a new show court at the Fond des Princes and the new Meulieres building are due to be finished. In 2019, the Court des Serres will be inaugurated and the renovation of the Philippe Chatrier court will be well underway as will be the entire Fond des Princes area. Finally, in 2020, spectators, players, media and partners will be able to enjoy the full splendour of the new grounds which will highlight the history, heritage and elegance of this legendary tournament and stadium which are admired throughout the world.
Environmental groups had opposed the renovation, claiming that the construction of a new 5,000-seat court in the Serres d'Auteuil botanical garden would harm the vegetation. The botanical garden's 19th century greenhouses, a few hundred meters from center court, host a large variety of tropical and local flowers.
Roland Garros is the smallest of the four Grand Slam venues. The renovation calls for the expansion of the grounds from 21 acres to 34.