Thomas Samson, Pool via AP
- The charity funding the project will soon take bids from companies who want to work on the restoration phase.
- Workers fortified and reinforced structures in the "safety phase," which is now complete.
- Initial reports after the April 2019 fire estimated that the cathedral might be too fragile to save.
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With the conclusion of its "safety phase," the charity responsible for financing and restoring Notre Dame after it was ravaged in a 2019 fire said the cathedral will reopen in 2024, according to CNN.
"We'll be able to firmly go ahead with the phase of restoring and rebuilding the parts destroyed by the fire, so that it's ready to reopen for services and public visits in 2024," General Jean-Louis Georgelin, president of the charity Friends of Notre Dame de Paris, told CNN affiliate BFMTV Saturday.
The charity is preparing to launch calls for bids in order to select companies for the restoration phase, which will also address critical issues that existed before the 2019 fire, BFMTV reported. During the prior safety phase, workers completed a number of projects, including lead decontamination, fortifying damaged structures, and reinforcing flying buttresses, according to the Friends of Notre Dame de Paris website.
"The iconic cathedral has long required restoration. In fact, the most recent restoration in the 1800s actually weakened the structure overall," the Friends of Notre Dame de Paris said in a statement. "Since the 2019 fire, those committed to restoring this beloved monument have an all-new set of obstacles to overcome."
Initial reports following the fire estimated that the landmark might be too fragile to save in its entirety. The 12th-century gothic cathedral in the heart of Paris was under renovation at the time of the accidental fire, which destroyed its roof and collapsed its spire.