The athletes’ village at Quinconces (Seine-Saint-Denis), December 16, 2023 CHRISTOPHE CAUDROY FOR “LE MONDE”
One man savored this meeting more than others on Tuesday 19th of December at the heart of the Olympic and Paralympic Village for the Paris 2024 games, near the Stade de France in Seine-Saint-Denis. It was just twelve days away from the December 31st, 2023, which was the “pivot date” that Nicolas Ferrand had set six years ago when he took over Solideo, the company created to build or renovate the necessary facilities for the competition.
One of the major projects includes the athletes’ village (14,250 beds), the media village, an aquatics center, and a 9,000-seat arena. As of early 2024, three challenging issues still remain, but 84% of the work has been completed. There were still the sounds of drills in the Olympic village as more than 9,000 trees and shrubs were being delivered. The area still appeared very urban, but the essential work was nearly done.
The construction companies have two months to make the necessary alterations before handing over the keys to the COJO in early March, which will then furnish the interiors. Overall, the progress is considered satisfactory.
It was a sour note, however, as three buildings (500 beds) on the Ile-Saint-Denis would be delivered late in March due to issues with the structure. Nonetheless, Ferrand highlights that “2,200 TPE and SMEs from 86 departments worked” on the showcase project. “The entire France has built the Olympic village.”
