Stade Roland Garros - Expansion or Relocation

Expansion or Relocation

In 2009 the FFT announced that it had commissioned the French architect Marc Mimram (designer of the Passerelle des Deux Rives footbridge across the Rhine River in Strasbourg) to design a significant expansion of Roland Garros. On the current property, the proposal calls for the addition of lights and a roof over Court Philippe Chatrier. At the nearby Georges Hébert municipal recreation area, east of Roland Garros at Porte d'Auteuil, a fourth stadium will be built with a retractable roof and 14,600 seating capacity, along with two smaller courts with seating for 1,500 and 750. Additional space may be available at Stade Jean Bouin, where Stade Francais rugby club played its home games until the stadium was demolished in 2009.

In 2010, faced with opposition to the proposed expansion from factions within the Paris City Council, the FFT announced it was considering an alternate plan to move the French Open to a completely new 55-court venue outside of Paris city limits. Three sites reportedly being considered were Marne-le-Vallée (site of the Euro Disney resort), the northern Paris suburb of Gonesse, and a vacant military base near Versailles. Amid charges of bluffing and brinkmanship, a spokesman explained that Roland Garros is less than half the size of other Grand Slam venues, leaving the FFT with only two viable options: expansion of the existing facility or relocation of the event.

In February 2011 the FFT voted to keep the French Open at the Roland Garros venue, citing the prohibitive expense ($630 million to $1 billion) of building from scratch at Versailles, Gonesse, or Marne-le-Vallée, versus a projected $370 million to expand the existing facility. Local residents, wildlife enthusiasts and municipal authorities continue to voice opposition to the expansion plan, which would increase the Roland Garros grounds from 21 acres (8.5 hectares) to about 33.8 acres (13.5 hectares).