Glasgow Commonwealth Games legacy project 18 months late

One of the legacy projects from the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow is 18 months late.

Published 4th May 2016

One of the legacy projects from the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow is 18 months late.

A £17 million care home for the elderly, part of the Athletes Village at Dalmarnock, should have been complete in Spring 2015, but that date has been and gone and locals are still waiting to see when it will be finished.

Nearly two years after the 2014 Games, the legacy development which was guaranteed is yet to get off the ground. That is despite organisers of the Games saying their successes would be measured by the so-called ‘legacy.’

The unfinished facility on Springfield Road is being managed by Graham Robb, senior contracts manager at City Building.

He said; “Converting the home has been more challenging than first thought, everything needs to be bespoke in nature, from handles to doors to taps.

“We had no initial timeframe, that comes from Glasgow City Council but we will be targeting their time.

“Basically it’s a fit-out at the moment and about 50 builders are working on the site.

“Everything is taking into consideration, whether it be a ramp or special access, and that all takes time.

We are confident we will meet the timescales given.”

Glasgow City Council acknowledged that the project was behind the timescale, and say that is because it was more complex than originally thought.

A spokesman for the Council said; “The process of converting a hall of residence for elite athletes to modern care home for 120 older people has been more complex than anticipated.

“However, internal work has now been underway for a number of months and we fully anticipate the home will complete during autumn this year.

“The existing council-run care homes due to be replaced by Riverside House will remain open until the new home is ready to receive residents.

“Riverside House will offer high quality care for the city’s vulnerable, older people and will provide a fitting legacy from the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.”