Notre-Dame de Paris: renovations not to be done before 2025

You will not be able to see the new Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris before 2025. This is what Paris first deputy mayor entrusted with urban planning Emmanuel Grégoire says during his hearing on Wednesday February 10, 2021 at the National Assembly as part of the informative mission following up the building’s protection and renovation as it burnt in April 2019.

This prediction goes against the one made by French President Macron. The day following the inferno of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral, the head of state announced the building will be fully and entirely rebuilt for the Paris Summer Olympics that will take place in 2024 in Paris and in France. “What I got from the adjustments of the calendar is that Notre-Dame will not be done by 2024” he says as he has been a close colleague of Anne Hidalgo’s for many years.

But, the deputy mayor does not exclude the emblematic Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral to reopen before works end, namely before 2025. “Works will not be completed, but the cathedral will partially open, especially for worship” Grégoire adds. To justify the new deadline, he reminds the impact of the Covid-19 health crisis on the schedule.

But the National Assembly representatives mostly paid interest in the 50 million euros granted and promised by Paris officials in 2019 after the tragedy. To date, parliamentarians see no organization nor foundations working for the renovation of the church have been granted the least cent.

• To be read
• The Notre Dame de Paris parvis and rue du Parvis de Notre-Dame de Paris reopen
• Notre-Dame de Paris: reconstruction work to start in 2021
• Notre Dame de Paris: restoration of the pipe organ begins

In concrete words, the deputy mayor says the sum will be given to the renovation of the surroundings of Notre-Dame de Paris, specifically the famous parvis. “It was never about putting 50 million euros of donation as part of the bill, it has always been said that they will be used for renovation, restructuration and construction of Notre-Dame and renovating the surroundings of Notre-Dame is part of the renovation of Notre-Dame” the deputy mayor tells deputies.

He also reminded them the role of each part of the renovations, not even trying to hide his mind. “Each person takes care of financing what comes within the competency of everyone. The cathedral is a State building, and therefore, the cathedral is taken care of by the public institution. The surroundings being the responsibility of the city – which does not make them less indispensable to the project to renovate Notre-Dame – the city, in agreement with the government, focuses its investments and operates the construction project” the elected representative says.

The decision does not please the informative committee president, Brigitte Kuster. “Surroundings coming within the competency of the public space should have been taken on another budget than the 50 million announced by Paris mayor the day following the fire Notre-Dame has been the victim of” the deputy says. Behind, the deputy mayor says “no store will be set on the parvis”. To determine what will be taken care of for the refurbishing of the parvis, he announced there will be an international architecture contest in the spring 2021.