Paris: one-hundred-year-old trees soon to be cut down by the authorities around the Eiffel Tower?

The renovation project of the Eiffel Tower has been causing a sensation for several months, locals and heritage activists being against it. As for the Ville de Paris, they wish to start works as soon as possible to make sure these are done for the 2024 Summer Olympics. And the latter achieved its objective this past February, the Council of Paris giving the free light. But another polemic is roaring as multiple trees are to be cut down by the Eiffel Tower, some being centenarian.

Journalist Hugo Clément shared the situation after an architect internet user was outraged to see these one-hundred-year-old trees disappear, replaced by the construction of commercial terminals. He called out Paris Mayor and her deputy Emmanuel Grégoire who stood out for the project, saying it was to “improve the working conditions of the agents and the reception of the public of the Eiffel Tower and the gardens”. The deputy mayor added he was “studying ways to avoid to cut the 2 named trees down”.

Paris authorities justify the chopping of 42 trees on the site, where 222 extra trees will be planted. Anne Hidalgo’s Plan Arbre – or Tree Plan – is to plant 170,000 trees in Paris by the end of her mandate in 2026.

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😡SCANDALEUX ! Ces arbres magnifiques et centenaires aux pieds de la #TourEiffel vont être abattus pour réaliser des aménagements commerciaux, « bagageries » et bureaux, dans le cadre d’un projet pharaonique rejeté par les Parisiens! #Écologie #Paris #Notrepatrimoine #ChampdeMars pic.twitter.com/K9euqh1V70

— Dominique Dupré-Henry (@DuprDominique2) April 27, 2022

Tweet reads: "SCANDALOUS! These magnificent and centenarian trees at the foot of the Eiffel Tower will be cut down to build commercial facilities, "checkroom", and offices as part of a colossal project rejected by Parisians!"

Paris: the Eiffel Tower’s redevelopment project has started, excluding the Champ-de-Mars
The surroundings of the Eiffel Tower will be entirely rethought and redesigned in the coming years. This Tuesday February 8, the Conseil de Paris has given the green light to the redevelopment project involving the Pont d’Iéna, the Place du Trocadéro, the Quai Branly, while excluding the northern part of the Champ-de-Mars. [Read more]