Paris (AFP)

The cost of the Olympic Aquatic Center (CAO) of Paris-2024, in Saint-Denis, which will be attributed to a group led by Bouygues, has been reassessed upwards, to 174.7 million euros against 113 according to a precedent budget, against a background of uncertainties linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The increase is not trivial. "Over 50 million overruns now ... it promises," tweeted the "Paris 2024 vigilance committee of Saint-Denis", a collective of citizens critical of the organization of the Olympic Games.

"The costs remain under control", we reply on the contrary to Solideo, the public company in charge of the Olympic sites, where we recall that the bill for the aquatic center built for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, postponed to the summer 2021, approaches 500 million euros.

The increase, announced Wednesday by the Metropolis of Greater Paris (MGP), the contracting authority of the CAD, which unveiled the project and its attribution to a group of companies led by Bouygues, is due to several factors. On the one hand, it results from an update to take into account the construction market in Ile-de-France and inflation until 2024, the previous budget being based on one euro at 2016 value.

On the other hand, it is linked to an additional investment of 20 million euros from MGP, to finance a playful aquatic area not planned at the start and not necessary for the Olympic Games, but which must allow the exploitation of the equipment, also entrusted to Bouygues.

At this stage, the cost of the CAD amounts in itself to 147 million euros, to which must be added the amount of additional space and seven million for demolition and decontamination of the site, located opposite of the Stade de France. All without taxes, says one to the Solideo.

At this stage, this review of costs therefore does not take into account possible hazards caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which put many sectors to a halt, and which threatens major projects if the health crisis continues. "We don't have a crystal ball", we sum up at the Solideo, where we nevertheless note that the main building sites of the Olympic Games, such as the Olympic village, still in Saint-Denis, the media village, at Le Bourget, and the CAO, should not start before the spring of 2021.

In total, the investment budget for the Olympic Games must amount to 3 billion euros, including 1.5 billion in public funding (State, Ile-de-France region, Seine-Saint-Denis, city of Paris, MGP ) in 2016 value, according to a financial protocol signed in June 2018. The organizational budget, financed by private funds, amounts to 3.8 billion euros at this stage.

- Opposite the Stade de France -

The choice of the group led by Bouygues, which was in competition with Vinci, must be approved on May 15 by a vote of the MGP metropolitan council, which brings together Paris and 130 municipalities.

The building, 30 meters high and 100 meters long and wide, draws a curved shape and gives pride of place to exposed wood over its entire surface, according to the images disseminated by the Metropolis. In 2024, this flagship equipment for the Olympic Games will be linked to the Stade de France through a pedestrian bridge which will span the A1 motorway.

Inside, two basins in one, over a length of 70 meters, separated by a mobile platform supposed to allow diversifying uses after 2024.

The MGP, which defends with its partners equipment "useful to the population", communicated the tariffs for the general public from 2025: 4.8 euros per adult for the pools used during the Olympic Games, 5.5 euros for the 'fun aquatic area (in February 2020 value).

During the Games, the 6,000-seat enclosure (2,500 after the Olympic Games) is planned to accommodate the qualifying phases of water polo, artistic swimming and diving. But not swimming, the events of which will be organized in the same area, in a covered and removable pool, surrounded by temporary stands (15,000 seats) and two temporary training pools. This choice was made by public actors in the spring of 2018, to limit the public bill of the CAO, all temporary installations can be financed by the Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games, which is based on private funds.

The construction of the aquatic center must start in spring 2021 for delivery in spring 2024.

© 2020 AFP