A major milestone has been reached in the build of the new Meadowbank Sports Centre with the completion certificate being issued to the main contractors Graham Construction.
It enables the project to progress to the next stage and Edinburgh Leisure can now begin preparing the building for opening.
Although an official opening date to the public has yet to be announced, it is expected that Meadowbank will be open around the start of the summer holidays.
The original Meadowbank was built for the 1970 Commonwealth Games and was used by various clubs and sporting celebrities.
The closure of the flagship venue in December 2017 marked the end of an era and the start of a new one as the building was decommissioned to make way for a new state-of-the-art sports centre for people in Edinburgh.
The new Meadowbank was originally scheduled to reopen in 2020, but the two-year pandemic, various lockdowns and issues with building supplies and contractor resourcing, which affected the building industry, meant that "delays were inevitable".
June Peebles, chief executive of Edinburgh Leisure, said: “We’re delighted that the finishing line is now in sight for the opening of this new flagship venue.
"The opportunity to be involved in such a major build project is special and I’m very grateful to the City of Edinburgh Council for involving Edinburgh Leisure in all aspects of this exciting investment into the City’s wellbeing.
"It’s been great to be involved in the project from day one however the level of excitement has certainly increased as we begin preparations for opening.
“The new Meadowbank will undoubtedly pick up where the old Meadowbank left off; providing countless opportunities for generations to come to participate in physical activity and sport. New sporting memories will be created, and we can’t wait to welcome the people of Edinburgh and beyond, into the new venue.”
MsPeebles added: “Now that the completion certificate has been issued, we will be spending the following weeks with final snagging, fit out items, finalising operating arrangements and a comprehensive staff training programme before we finally open the building.
"So, keep your eyes on social media and Edinburgh Leisure’s website for more announcements about the official opening date. We can’t wait to welcome you into the impressive new Meadowbank.”
Council leader Adam McVey said: “It’s great news that this latest milestone has been reached today, which means the new Meadowbank Sports Centre is one step closer to throwing its doors open to the public. This glimpse behind-the-scenes shows what we’ve got to look forward to – one of the country’s top community sports centres with some of the most state-of-the-art fitness facilities in the UK.
“We’ve been working closely with Edinburgh Leisure throughout the development of this flagship project to make sure that the centre provides the very best in sport and physical activity, while prioritising participation and accessibility.
“Now, as June and her team put the finishing touches to the building and finalise arrangements for opening, we’re counting down the weeks before everyone can enjoy this fantastic facility.”
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