The organizing committee notes that several projects have fallen behind schedule, such as the Adidas arena for badminton and rhythmic gymnastics at Porte de la Chapelle. The building was to be completed this summer. It won’t be until early 2024.
After the Paralympic Games, it will become the home of the Parisian basketball team, the Paris basketball club, of the Elite league.
If the construction of the building has been delayed, it is because the steel used had to come from Ukraine. This was explained by Christophe Rosa, in charge of the Olympic and Paralympic Games at the City of Paris.
Steel production in Ukraine has fallen by 70%, local unions say, due to the war and the destruction of facilities.
We have found a way to bring in steel from elsewhere, from Eastern Europe, in particular from Poland, and from several factories in southern Europe in order to catch up
said Mr. Rosa.
The construction of the Porte de la Chapelle arena required 1,500 tons of steel. The cost of the building which will accommodate 8,000 people is 150 million US dollars.
The structural work on the site should be completed by the end of the month. The teams are completing the construction of the 17-meter-high cylindrical shaft that will dominate the main hall, with the installation of the 850-ton metal frame.
In February, the last bleachers will be laid using a mobile crane.
The name of the site will be the Adidas arena under a sponsorship agreement with the famous brand which will bring in three million US dollars per year. There is also talk of building two gymnasiums there to provide people with sports facilities in this multicultural neighborhood.
This place north of the capital has seen migrants settle there in recent years, without authorization, in makeshift camps regularly dismantled by the police.
The Olympic Village is not yet finished either. A geothermal power plant is being built there at its heart, which will produce 68% of the energy needed, the remaining 32% will come from natural gas.
Once fully operational, at the end of the year, this geothermal power plant will reduce CO emissions by 4,500 tons.2 per year.
