[6] Construction symbolically began on 4 November 2019 with then-Prime Minister, Édouard Philippe, and the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo , initiating the work.

The main objectives included reducing the carbon footprint, reusing and recycling construction site materials, ensuring urban comfort, and promoting respect for and preservation of biodiversity, encouraging companies to propose and experiment with innovations.

[21][19][22] The footbridge is at ground level on the Pleyel side; a wide spiral ramp on the Place Olympique provides access to the banks of the Seine.

[30] The village layout had long, straight gaps between buildings that led down to the Seine, allowing cool air from the river to travel inland.

[31][32] In addition, 1,500 housing units were equipped with Teqoya [fr] VMC (controlled mechanical ventilation) systems that can capture 90% of microparticles, bacteria, pollens and allergens.

This system takes water cooled to 4 degrees Celsius from wells up to 70 metres (230 ft) underground and circulates it through pipes under the floors of each apartment.

Most of the rest of the electricity was supplied through the grid operated by the Compagnie parisienne de chauffage urbain [fr] (CPCU).

[31] During the Olympics and Paralympics, the electricity supply was supplemented by a barge moored on the Seine provided by EDF ENR that mounted 470 m2 of solar panels with a capacity of 78 kilowatts peak.

[38] More than 2.4 kilometres of high-voltage power lines were buried, allowing for 27 pylons (including six in the village area) between Villeneuve-la-Garenne and Saint-Denis to be removed.

[41] Along the same lines, Placo, a subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, deployed 60,000 m2 of fully removable partitions in the athletes' rooms, which would be reused after the competition.

[40][44] Furnishings included 14,250 blankets, bedside tables and reading lights, 8,200 fans, 5,535 sofas, 7,600 drying racks, 1,681 shelves and 10,879 chairs.

While it is part of a certain continuity of projects for the Pleyel sector in Saint-Denis and the eco-district of L'Île-Saint-Denis,[2][45] the athletes' village project clashed with existing activities, particularly in Saint-Ouen, which gives rise to opposition and conflicts in 2018 and 2019 due to the destruction of an activity zone, a migrant workers' home, a student residence and a strong impact on several educational establishments.

[51] The space freed up by the demolition of industrial buildings on the edge of Saint-Ouen and Saint-Denis behind the Dora Maar college allowed for the construction of a temporary bus station, to transport athletes and their chaperones to the competition and training venues.

[52] Included in the security perimeter of the village, the college's staff housing was rebuilt with bio-sourced materials above the school gymnasium.

[53] On the Saint-Ouen side, the Marcel-Cachin high school, which dates from 1965,[54] was completely rebuilt on the same street,[55][56] and at a cost of €64.4 million, and reopened on 4 September 2023.

[58] However, the project to complete the A86 interchange was denounced by environmental associations and local residents on the grounds of the proximity of the Anatole-France school group and the increase in automobile pollutant emissions that this development would cause.

Also in attendance were the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, the President of the Regional Council of Île-de-France, Valerie Pecresse and the Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra.

He told the construction workers: "We are, I am, proud of the work you've done, within budget and on time... Our athletes will be able to experience the Games in the best conditions and you contributed to changing the lives of the inhabitants of the area.