Green Point stadium gathering dust

Cape Town 19-01-15 .Contract workers at the Green Point Athletics track Picture Brenton Geach

Cape Town 19-01-15 .Contract workers at the Green Point Athletics track Picture Brenton Geach

Published Jan 21, 2015

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Cape Town - The new R85 million Green Point Athletics Stadium, part of the Cape Town Stadium precinct, should have been opened at the end of 2013 – but more than a year later it’s gathering dust.

The city is unable to say when work on the facility will be completed.

Construction began in January 2012. According to city spokeswoman Priya Reddy, a former contractor’s inability to complete the work had been the main problem.

“Despite committing to an extended completion date, the contractor failed to honour this commitment, which led to the city terminating the contract. The contractor has incidentally also run into problems with other contracts and a provisional liquidation order was granted against the contractor in June 2014,” she said.

Filcon Projects, the contracting company originally hired by the city, was involved in controversy when R400m in government projects in the Western Cape were either cancelled, halted or jeopardised when it was forced to file for business rescue.

The construction cost of the athletics stadium was an estimated R85m and the city confirmed that while repairs to outstanding defects had commenced, not all the costing for the outstanding work had been received. “The final cost is, however, not expected to exceed the estimated amount,” said Reddy.

“The most significant outstanding defect (waterproofing) is, however, in the process of being repaired. The remainder of the snags are less critical and do not prevent the stadium from being used.”

The estimated R85m included money spent on the stadium’s tartan track and a stand with seating for 4 500 spectators.

While Reddy said the stadium would be available for a range of athletics events, from school athletics days to national athletics competitions, the city could not say when the stadium would be ready for use.

 

“It has been designed to meet the technical standards set by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). It will be a world-class facility which will complement the adjacent Cape Town Stadium with the hosting of national and international athletic events.

“The scale and quality will mean that it will be the premier location for athletics in the city,” said Reddy.

Luke Stevens, co-chairman of the Green Point Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association, said it has been frustrating. It had had a problem regarding how the track’s outside parking lot was being used, but this was sorted out, Stevens said.

“This delay is impacting on athletes who should be using the stadium and now have to use Athlone Stadium. While it’s just standing there, taxpayers still have to pay

,” he said.

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Cape Times

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