The new Community Stadium at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park has officially been completed, 16 months after breaking ground.
Property regeneration specialist Scarborough Group International (SGI) announced the practical completion of the stadium, which has been designed by architecture firm Whittam Cox. The delivery team was led by principal contractor GMI Construction Group.
The Community Stadium has the capacity to hold 758 seated supporters under a covered grandstand, and a further 562 standing around the pitch perimeter, giving a total of 1,320, rising to around 4,000 as future development phases are undertaken.
The stadium will serve as the home of Championship rugby league team the Sheffield Eagles. The Eagles have a long history with the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park having played at the former Don Valley Stadium until 2013 and then returning to the city in 2018 before moving to Doncaster Rovers’ Eco-Power Stadium while the new Community Stadium was developed.
Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park was established after the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in an effort to deliver whole population improvements in health and wellbeing. It is said to be the world’s only Olympic legacy park outside a host city.
As well as serving as the home of the Eagles, the stadium is open to use for other professional and grassroots sports teams, alongside the wider community. In the months ahead, SGI plans on introducing three padel tennis courts in close proximity to the stadium.
Stephen Marriott, operations director at SGI, said: “This year marks 10 years since London hosted the 2012 Olympic Games and the germ of an idea that would later become Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park took root in Richard Caborn’s (chair of Legacy Park Ltd) mind.
“The Community Stadium has some of the best facilities in Sheffield and will create a lasting legacy for the local community so it’s incredibly poignant that we were able to deliver the building ahead of the anniversary celebrations.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the whole delivery team for their hard work and dedication in bringing the Community Stadium to life; despite encountering numerous complex challenges during construction, we are now only a matter of days away from hosting our first official event.”
Kate Martin, executive director of City Futures at Sheffield City Council, added: “Sheffield is a city that has always championed our fantastic sports teams, events and legacy so it’s no surprise we are the only city outside of London to have an Olympic Legacy Park.
“It’s fantastic to see the site continue to grow, with the new Community Stadium providing a permanent home for Sheffield Eagles, as well as creating a dedicated space for people to train and play sports together, from professionals to schoolchildren.
“We want everyone to take advantage of the brilliant facilities available, which will support more people to lead active healthy lifestyles and inspire our future athletes for generations to come.”
Image: Scarborough Group International
