The French Open "will continue to be played at Roland Garros in Paris after the country’s tennis federation opted to upgrade the existing site rather than move the tournament outside the city," according to Rossingh & Roberts of BLOOMBERG NEWS. Three other projects "had been bidding to host the event from 2016." The French Tennis Federation (FFT) yesterday said that Paris "took 70 percent of the votes over Marne-la-Vallee in the final round after Gonesse and Versailles were eliminated." The upgrade will cost US$370M, "half of what would have been required to move the clay-court Grand Slam" that has been held at Roland Garros since '28. The facility's 20 outside courts are spread over 21 acres, making it the "smallest of the four tennis majors." The FFT said that the upgraded Roland Garros "will cover almost 35 acres and include 35 outside courts, a new 5,000-seat stadium and a new press center." The main Philippe Chatrier court "will be redesigned and feature a retractable roof." French Open organizers "had been considering alternative venues after plans announced in the spring of 2009 to build a new ... stadium near Roland Garros stalled because of a lack of consensus among local politicians" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 2/13). The AP's Jerome Pugmire noted the proposed new venues "were considerably more costly because they would have required building from scratch." The new facilities would have carried an "estimated price tag of between $637 million and $1.1 billion" (AP, 2/13).
COURT CHALLENGE: In N.Y., Christopher Clarey reports more than 35,000 people "have supported an online petition against" the renovations, and "legal challenges -- a staple of development projects in Paris -- are considered possible." Versailles "was long considered the most attractive alternative to Paris because of its name recognition and proximity to the chateau of Versailles," but FFT President Jean Gachassin said that "doubts about whether it could deliver a new facility on the site of a former military base by 2016 weighed on its candidacy." Gachassin added the decision to remain in Paris was “a countercurrent to the gigantism that is fashionable” elsewhere. FFT General Dir Gilbert Ysern: “We have decided to remain different and preserve our personality.” He added that the tournament "would not have stayed put without a roof or more room for players." Ysern said that the retractable roof "would allow for the French Open to be used for night sessions in 2016, another move that could generate legal challenges from local residents" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/14).
