Birmingham 2022: Construction work on Commonwealth Games Village officially begins
It'll be home to 6,500 athletes and officials in the summer of 2022
Last updated 5th Jul 2022
Construction work on the largest infrastructure project directly related to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games started today.
A ground-breaking ceremony was staged at the Commonwealth Games Village site in Perry Barr – which will provide a home away from home for around 6,500 athletes and officials coming to the city in the summer of 2022.
Members of the local community including pupils from Arena Academy were joined by dignitaries from the Games Partners – the organisations that have joined forces to deliver the 2022 Commonwealth Games – as well as Team England athletes to mark the occasion.
The construction work for this residential element of the village, built on the site of the former Birmingham City University campus, is due for completion in early 2022.
Commitments secured by the council through various mechanisms, including the Birmingham Business Charter for Social Responsibility, mean that the lead contractor on the residential element of the Commonwealth Games Village will provide:
Post-Games, the development will be converted into more than 1,400 homes for the people of Birmingham, the first phase of a long-term regeneration plan for Perry Barr and surrounding areas that will provide 5,000 homes – required as the city’s population is forecast to increase by 150,000 in the period covering 2011-2031.
As part of the wider regeneration of Perry Barr, the village will sit in legacy mode alongside improved open space, a redeveloped Alexander Stadium and related community, sport and leisure facilities as well as transport improvements including a new Sprint rapid bus service from Birmingham to Walsall. Upgrades to cycling and walking routes and a reconfiguration of the highways network along the A34 are also proposed.
And in order to engage with the Perry Barr community, the city council has today announced the launch of a programme of site visits for local schools and community organisations, full details of which will be announced in the months ahead