Work starts on city games arenas
06th January 2010
Construction work has started on a velodrome and sports arena for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The venues, on a 10. 5 hectare site, close to Celtic Park and the games athletes' village, will host the badminton and cycling events.
The National Indoor Sports Arena will be able to hold up to 5,000 spectators.
The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome - named after the Olympic gold medallist - will have 2,000 seated and 500 standing spectators and a 250-metre cycle track.
When complete in 2012, both facilities will be a national training centre for athletics, basketball, netball, track cycling and volleyball.
The new headquarters of Sportscotland, the national sports agency, will be located on the same site.
John Scott, chief executive of Glasgow 2014 Limited, the organising committee for the games, said: "This facility will be a fabulous addition to the sports infrastructure in Glasgow.
"It will provide a venue for numerous international competitions in the years to come, with the potential to generate significant economic benefits, as well as being a superb community facility.
"It is a key competition venue for the Commonwealth Games and will be in regular use and fully tested well in advance of the games. "
The velodrome track will be designed by Ralph Schuermann, who designed the 2008 Olympic Games velodrome in Beijing.
The £95m velodrome and sports arena will be built by construction firm, Sir Robert McAlpine.
The construction of both venues is expected to require a total workforce of 200, including 20 new apprenticeship places.
'Landmark' buildings
Once they are opened, about 84 staff will be employed there by Culture and Sport Glasgow.
Councillor Archie Graham, executive member for the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow City Council, said: "The beginning of the construction of the National Indoor Sports Arena and Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome is another landmark towards the creation of a world-class sporting complex for Glasgow.
"The arena and velodrome will be seen around the world when the badminton and indoor cycling events are held here.
"There will be many other top-class sporting events held at the venue, with fantastic facilities for users to improve their health and fitness, and this will undoubtedly be a fantastic asset to Glasgow and Scotland. "
Source: BBC
