Revamp of Commonwealth Games athletics venue pushed back to April 2022

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Athletics – Diamond League – Birmingham Grand Prix – Alexander Stadium, Birmingham, Britain – August 18, 2019 Jamaica’s Yohan Blake wins the men’s 100 Metres final Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

BIRMINGHAM, 10 JULY 2020 (INSIDE THE GAMES) – The completion date for work to revamp the Alexander Stadium, which is due to host the athletics and Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, has been pushed back to just three months before the event.

Originally the revamp of the stadium, at a cost of £72 million ($90 million/€80 million) was due to be completed in the latter part of 2021, but now the completion date has been pushed back to April 1 2022 –  three months before the stadium is due to host the Opening Ceremony of the event, as reported by The Birmingham Mail.

Meanwhile, the Athletes Village for the Games, which is being redeveloped at a cost of £584 million (US$736 million/€652 million) is set to be completed on March 31 2022, the date it was originally due to be handed over to organisers.

The city council say everything is “on course” as required to get the Alexander Stadium ready for the Commonwealth Games, and that it is both “on schedule and on budget.”

Permanent seating will increase from 12,700 to 18,000 once the work on the stadium is finished.

In a statement Birmingham City Council say they are not concerned by the revised dates for the completion of the Alexander Stadium.

The council say: “The practical completion date for the legacy stadium is 01April  2022.

“This is in advance of the date for exclusive use of the site by the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee, for their delivery of the additional overlay required to get the stadium ‘games ready.’

“As at the end of May 2020, a detailed analysis of the impact of COVID-19 is being undertaken in collaboration with partners.”

Jon Hunt, a councillor for Perry Barr, the area of Birmingham where the Alexander Stadium is located said: “I think it’s incredibly risky to leave it so late.

“They should scale back the work and abandon the unnecessary roadworks at Perry Barr.

“I was surprised they decided to keep it to 2022 but if that is the plan, they need to put an end to the overreach.”

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