Paris, French Federation Hit Impasses Over Roland Garros Redevelopment

The expansion plans for Roland Garros, home of the French Open, "have hit another impasse," according to Vincent Michelon of METRO FRANCE. Paris' public rapporteur has asked the Paris Administrative Court to cancel a contract signed between the French Tennis Federation and the city of Paris for the redevelopment of the Roland Garros site. The court is expected to make a decision "within two to three weeks." One of the reasons given by the rapporteur was the "undervaluation of the royalty" given by the French Tennis Federation (FFT) to Paris. Another, "which is the major argument of associations and ecologists," is the violation of environmental restrictions when it comes to expanding into the Botanical Gardens, which are protected in France as a historical monument. In December, the FFT announced that the expansion plans were expected to cost €340M ($458.3M) (METRO FRANCE, 2/12).