| Glasgow's Commonwealth success will spur construction |
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| Friday, 09 November 2007 | |
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Glasgow will profit from an enormous infrastructure boost, following today’s announcement that it will host the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
The announcement was made at a ceremony in Sri Lanka this afternoon. Glasgow fought off competition from the other candidate city, Abuja in Nigeria. It is estimated that approximately £300m will be invested in the city as a direct result of the Games. Deputy first minister Nicola Sturgeon stressed the importance of the win to the city’s ongoing regeneration programme. She said: “The Government is determined that the Games will provide a springboard for regeneration in some of our most deprived communities.” While the city already has a large part of the infrastructure available, such as the Ibrox Stadium, Hampden Stadium, and several ongoing infrastructure upgrades, including the £1.6bn Clyde Gateway project, the planned improvements are seen as part of the city’s regeneration progress. Part of the bid is The Athletes’ Village in Glasgow’s East End, which will provide a residential development consisting of around 1,000 houses, as well as retail space. Further plans include the development of a Velodrome and the Cathkin Braes mountain-biking track, which will enhance the city’s existing sporting facilities. |
