2014 Games 'village' developer unveiled by Glasgow City Council

Jun 23 2009

2014 games village

THE ARCHITECT behind the Scottish Parliament's s414million Holyrood home is set to design the Commonwealth Games athletes village in the east  end of Glasgow.

RMJM is the architect in the City Legacy consortium which Glasgow City Council has named as preferred bidder for the s300 million Dalmarnock project.

Councillors will meet on Friday to consider a report on the contract and are expected to approve the City Legacy bid from a shortlist of three.

The project, one of the largest of its kind ever in this country, is expected to bring 93 new jobs to the city, 60 of which will be apprentices, and employ a total workforce of 620.

Sprawling over 38.5 hectares of land in Dalmarnock, the village will provide accommodation and facilities for 6,500 competitors and officials during the 2014 Games.

And afterwards, council officials say the village will become a desirable new residential community including private housing, 300 homes for rent and a new 120 bed care home for the elderly.

Glasgow City Council leader Steven Purcell said: The athletes village will be one of the most recognisable aspects of the legacy of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games - and certainly one of the most important.

"I am delighted to say that the process to identify a development partner attracted a number of absolutely outstanding masterplans.

"The fact that the private sector has demonstrated such confidence in this project shows that Glasgow continues to be an attractive place to do business, and I look forward to the successful delivery of a key part of the Games and later, the creation of a stunning new neighbourhood for the city as Glasgows regeneration continues. 

"The construction of the athletes village will create fantastic opportunities for local people and businesses to show the world what Glasgow can do.

The masterplan submitted by City Legacy will deliver a 95 per cent reduction in carbon emissions from the new homes to be constructed - a first in Scotland for a development of this scale, of over 1400 homes and the care home.

John Scott, Chief Executive of Glasgow 2014 Limited, the Organising Committee for the Commonwealth Games, said: We aspire to deliver an outstanding, athlete-focused Games in 2014 and the development of a high quality athletes village forms an important part of that ambition.

"Of course the legacy to the East End of Glasgow is also hugely important and we believe this development will be able to meet the aspirations of all the Games partners.

While Glasgow City Council shall make the village site available at nil cost initially in order to reduce borrowing requirements, the appointed development partner will enter into a profit sharing arrangement with the Council at the end of the project.

The preferred consortium consists of RMJM, Campbell Construction, W H Malcolm, Cruden and Mactaggart & Mickel.