Glasgow 2014 flagship ‘legacy’ project on hold

The care home should have opened three months ago but is currently fenced off and surrounded with weeds. Picture: Paul Drury

A £17 million care home for the elderly, the centrepiece of the Athletes Village at Dalmarnock, should have opened its doors to its first residents three months ago.

But a year after the first athletes began to arrive for Glasgow 2014, Glasgow City Council has admitted work is at a standstill and it will be summer 2016 before the east end home can open.

The incomplete facility on Springfield Road now sits behind metal fences, with weeds and grass growing over gardens where elderly residents should be sitting.

The private consortium City Legacy Ltd was given the job of transforming the riverside setting into a new community made up of 300 private homes, 400 units for social housing and the 120-bed care home for the elderly.

The first use for the buildings was accommodating the 6,500 athletes and officials who took part in last year’s Commonwealth Games.

The athletes included the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, who toured the site with Princes Harry and William and the Duchess of Cambridge.

However, organisers said at the time that the success of the Games would be measured by the lasting benefits or “legacy” left behind for future generations.

Conversion work to turn the accommodation into family homes was due to begin as soon as the Games finished last  August.

The 700 houses were made ready for new owners and tenants on schedule but the council said that “alleged design and construction defects” were discovered in the buildings earmarked for the care home.

The discovery has delayed the conversion work that needed to take place to make it suitable for the needs of the elderly.

Workmen from the council’s city building division are due on site within the next month to begin work.

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “The project has been subject to several challenges, which has impacted on the completion of the fit-out works.

“This includes alleged design and construction defects requiring replacement of installed floor panels and remedial works to external areas.

“We acknowledge the delay in opening the new home at Dalmarnock but the work required to bring it up to the necessary care standards will begin shortly.

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

The charity Age Scotland urged the local authority to get the situation “sorted” as soon as possible.

A spokesperson said: “Whenever conversion work like this is done, it’s important that it is completed to the highest standard. However, in all cases, it’s important that it is sorted as quickly as possible.”