A BIT OF HISTORY / THE STORY / BEFORE AND AFTER

The renovations at « good old Jarry » began August 7, 1995. One year and $24 million later, the   metamorphosis is just about complete. So that we may always remember the scope of what was   accomplished, we indulge in this little game of comparison.

BEFORE	and	AFTER
A centre court improvised on the northeast/southwest axis along the old baseball stadium’s first-base line.		A centre court repositioned along the more tennis-appropriate north-south axis and sunk some 10 feet to offer a better viewing angle.
Approximately 6,500 permanent seats and 4,000 rented seats (including the huge west bleacher section nicknamed « the Monster », set up and dismantled each year for the tournament.		12,000 permanent seats, all with backrests, on three levels, with a better overhang onto centre court thanks to a steeper incline.
A half-moon section of seats topped by a press box, perfect for tennis.		A half-moon section of seats topped by a press box, perfect for tennis – so we kept it.
Seven (7) additional outdoor courts, scattered around the site – an inadequate number, which required organizers to send tournament players off-site to practice.		Eleven (11) additional outdoor courts grouped together and easily accessible, allowing all of the players’ training and related activities to take place on site at the tournament.
No indoor courts.		Eight (8) indoor courts.
Corporate tents relegated to centre field. Cute but steamy in nice weather; enter at your own risk when the humidity hit.		Sky Suites within the stadium proper, with a view of centre court. Other corporate lounges are comfortably located in the indoor centre.
Public areas both limited and lacking green space along the stadium’s south and east facades.		A vast public plaza on the north side, serving as a natural link between the complex and Jarry Park.
Restrooms in abundance but poorly distributed and, sadly, best-known for their endless lineups at the end of matches.		Four (4) service towers to eliminate congestion on the three levels of the stadium, and which will help limit vertical circulation.
The business offices clearly inadequate, were concentrated under the permanent south stands. Dating back to 1959, they needed updating every year.		Brand new office space housing the Canadian, Quebec and Montreal tennis authorities, in addition to easily handling the tournament’s entire organizational staff.
Tennis only 9 days a year, i.e. during the Canadian Open. The facilities were not open to either the general population nor to the Lareaus, Robichauds, Bernards or Popescus.		Tennis all year long, with the stadium’s tennis courts open to the general public as well as to tennis development activities at the national, provincial and municipal levels (since Sept. 1, 1996).
The old Expos’ locker rooms, obsolete and in need of revamping every year for the needs of the tournament.		Brand-new locker rooms for the Williams sisters and Agassi during the tournament, for you and me the rest of the year.
Nothing.		A physiotherapy clinic A physiotherapy clinic open to the public 12 months a year.
Nothing.		Reception rooms also accessible all year, with parking included.
Nothing else...		A multi-purpose stadium complete with show stages (under the removable north boxes) that can be transformed into a unique, 9,000-seat, open-air amphitheatre. A delight for Montreal’s cultural milieu.