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Olympic Games builders finish 1,000th home for athletes
Matthew Beard and Ruth Bloomfield4 Feb 2010
The 1,000th home in the 2012 Olympic Village was completed today in a key milestone for the £1 billion project.
Three of the village's 11 residential plots on the eastern fringe of the Olympic Park are now structurally ready, with almost 3,000 construction workers on the site.
By early 2012 the taxpayer-funded housing development will consist of 2,800 homes and apartments, which will be sold off after the Games.
Living conditions in the village for the 17,350 athletes and officials during the Games are detailed in a planning consent granted this week by the Olympic Delivery Authority.
The compact 40-hectare village site — 50 per cent smaller than for the Beijing Games — means the ODA has had to make the most of floor space.
To create an extra bedroom, kitchens have not been included although these will be added in the post-Games conversion. The ODA said athletes in the village would typically be housed in two, four or six-bedroom apartments with no more than two to a twin room measuring at least 12 square metres.
Residents will eat in dining halls and there will be vending machines in every block. They will be ferried around the park in electric buggies.
A TV lounge, games room and cyber cafes will be within the complex to help athletes relax.
ODA chief executive David Higgins said: “With three of the Olympic Village residential plots now completed, the structures of a 1,000 new homes for east London have been finished. The sheer scale of the development means this will become one of the busiest parts of our construction programme this year and the completion of a further two residential plots keeps us firmly on track.”
Reader views (8)
Keith you are a moron of course it is still a building site. The Olympics are 2 years away. You obviously know nothing about Construction management!
- Natb, London, 06/02/2010 10:55
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"they will be awarded to people who have not, do not and will never contribute to the economy. People who are happy to live off the rest of us. They will be vandalised in no time at all.
- Beatriz, London"
You're very rude. And I don't think many farmers or Bank directors will be moving in.
- Alan Griffiths, Forest Gate, LONDON, 04/02/2010 19:51
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Homes?? I thought the athletes would be here for two or three weeks and then leave. Are they already planning for all of them to stay? I would call them 'accommodation for athletes'. Anyway, I agree with those who predict they will become sink estates, because they will be awarded to people who have not, do not and will never contribute to the economy. People who are happy to live off the rest of us. They will be vandalised in no time at all.
- Beatriz, London, 04/02/2010 14:01
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Gosh, this picture is not flattering at all, and look at the shadows the buildings cast over each other. Aside from that, I really hope the flats are well sound proofed to meet today's loud, 24 hours a day lifestyles, as neighbour noise is one of the most unsettling things and a source of a huge number of complaints to councils.
- Helen, norwich, 04/02/2010 13:04
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To-days high rise -tomorrows slums. How long are these expected to last? High rises flats are being blown up/demolished after only 30 years.
- Jim, London, 04/02/2010 12:42
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Every the optimist eh Keith?
These apartments are vital to the regeneration of Stratford, as long as they are well kept and maintained there is no reason why they wont help lift the East End.
Situated in one of the Biggest parks in London, with the amenities of Westfield and the great Transport links they will sell for a fortune and hopefully encourage investment and development throughout Stratford.
- Adam, Soho London, 04/02/2010 12:01
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These don't look very finished to me still looks like a building. Another lie by the Oylmpcis people! It's going tobe a dsaster.
- Keith, London, 04/02/2010 10:54
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Another sink estate which will be ideal for overnight accommodation for MPs.
- R.F.York, Yorks, UK, 04/02/2010 10:14
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