Construction work begins on 2024 Paris Olympic Village

Reuters Videos
Updated

SHOWS:

SAINT OUEN, FRANCE (NOVEMBER 4, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. VARIOUS OF CRANE STARTING TO DESTROY BUILDING AT START OF CONSTRUCTION WORK FOR OLYMPIC VILLAGE

2. CONSTRUCTION WORKER

3. CRANE ARM DESTROYING PART OF FORMER FACTORY

4. PARIS MAYOR, ANNE HIDALGO, AND PRESIDENT OF SEINE-SAINT-DENIS AREA WHERE OLYMPIC VILLAGE WILL BE BUILT, STEPHANE TROUSSEL, WALKING

5. HIDALGO TALKING

6. TENT WHERE MODEL OF FUTURE OLYMPIC VILLAGE IS PRESENTED

7. VARIOUS OF MODEL OF THE FUTURE OLYMPIC VILLAGE

8. FRENCH PRIME MINISTER, EDOUARD PHILIPPE, SMILING

9. PHILIPPE SURROUNDED BY HIDALGO, PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS BID LEADER AND THREE-TIMES OLYMPIC CANOEING CHAMPION, TONY ESTANGUET, AND OTHERS

10. PHILIPPE AND ESTANGUET

11. CRANE DESTROYING PART OF THE FORMER FACTORY

12. (SOUNDBITE) (French), PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS BID LEADER AND THREE-TIMES OLYMPIC CANOEING CHAMPION, TONY ESTANGUET, SAYING:

"It is always a nice moment to see a project like this become real. The beginning of construction work for the Olympic and Paralympic village is quite fundamental. As an athlete, I know that the village is at the heart of Olympic games. It will be the DNA of these Olympics. We will welcome the world here. So, it is nice to see such collective support."

13. (SOUNDBITE) (French) EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SOLIDEO, IN CHARGE OF OLYMPIC CONSTRUCTION WORKS, NICOLAS FERRAND, SAYING:

"It is the beginning of the construction of the Olympic village. From now to the end of 2023 over the 51 hectares of the Olympic village there will constantly be some form of construction work going on -- not always here exactly but also elsewhere, more to the north, the east and west -- so that by 2023, we will be able to provide all the buildings necessary to host the 15,000 athletes expected in 2024."

14. ESTANGUET AND PHILIPPE

15. PEOPLE TALKING

16. (SOUNDBITE) (French), FRENCH PRIME MINISTER, EDOUARD PHILIPPE, SAYING:

"For the Paris Olympics to be a success, all this organization, investment, work mustn't stop after the Olympic flame goes out. It needs to last. Our country, the Paris region, the area of Seine Saint Denis, and all the people who participated in this organization must continue to benefit from the Olympics. Something needs to be left."

17. PLEYEL TOWER IN SAINT DENIS

SAINT DENIS, FRANCE (FILE - SEPTEMBER 13, 2017) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

18. VARIOUS OF AERIAL SHOTS SHOWING SAINT-DENIS

19. STADE DE FRANCE STADIUM

STORY: Construction work on the athletes' village for the 2024 Paris Olympics began in the suburb of Saint Ouen on Monday (November 4).

From 2019 to 2020 the first step for Solideo -- the public company in charge of the Olympic construction project -- will be to destroy former factories, company premises and housing, with residents relocated. The second phase of construction is expected to begin in 2021.

The village will host over 15,000 athletes and be built over 51 hectares in three suburbs north of Paris: Saint Denis, Saint Ouen and L'Ile Saint Denis.

After the games the plan is to transform the village into a new ecologically-conscious district with accommodation and offices.

In Saint Denis and Saint Ouen some inhabitants have already expressed concerns about the construction site, both in terms of pollution and potential disruption.

(Production: Noemie Olive, Emilie Delwarde)