THE new Meadowbank Sports Centre will open to the public next month, the City of Edinburgh Council and Edinburgh Leisure have announced.
The new £47m project is a state-of-the-art community sports facility built on the site of the original Meadowbank, which closed in December 2017, will open on Tuesday July 19.
The centre will support physical activity, sport, health, and wellbeing in Edinburgh for generations to come, whilst also recognising the legacy and heritage of the old Meadowbank, the council said.
The new venue supports accessible participation and has improved indoor facilities with two multi-sport halls with seating, gym with triple the number of exercise stations and three large fitness studios.
Cammy Day, City of Edinburgh Council leader, said: "I’m delighted that we can now confirm when the doors for this fantastic new venue will open to the public. Meadowbank, I believe is one of the country’s top community sports centres, and features some of the most state-of-the-art fitness facilities in Britain. I very much look forward to seeing it bustling with sporting activity through the wide range of activities and classes."
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He added: "Participation and accessibility is at the heart of the Centre and the huge physical, mental and social benefits Meadowbank will bring to generations of local people simply can’t be overestimated. Bright welcoming spaces are flooded with natural light, providing welcoming and versatile halls, where a real variety of sports and activities will take place."
June Peebles, Edinburgh Leisure chief executive, said: "I’m delighted that the finishing line is in sight, and we are finally able to announce the opening of this new flagship venue. It’s been a long time coming but I promise you it will have been worth the wait."
The new Meadowbank includes the following facilities:
An outdoor eight-lane athletics track with a 499-seat stand and outdoor throwing and jumps areas
A 60m six-lane indoor athletics track and jumps space
Two multi-sport halls with fixed and moveable spectator seating
A hall for trampolining and dance
Two fitness studios, which include world-renowned Les Mills programme of classes, smart tech bars and weights
A gym with Life Fitness equipment, dumbbells up to 50kg, Watt bikes, SkiErg, row and Cybex SPARC machines
A Cycle Studio with Life Fitness IC7 bikes and ICG myride and Les Mills RPM classes
Two squash courts
A combat studio for martial arts
A boxing gym
Two 3G (synthetic) pitches, including one with a 499-seat stand
A hospitality suite and event-hosting facilities
Cafe and meeting rooms
History of Meadowbank
Meadowbank has been the home of elite sport in the Scottish capital since the 1930s. The previous Meadowbank Sports Centre was built for the 1970 Commonwealth Games and was used by various clubs and sporting celebrities. It hosted two Commonwealth Games in 1970 and 1986.
It has also hosted some large-scale music events over the years, including T on the Fringe, an annual music festival. Muse, My Chemical Romance, Snow Patrol, Radiohead, Pixies, Foo Fighters, Nine Inch Nails, Kaiser Chiefs, and Razorlight, all played the venue between 2005 and 2007.
The closure of the venue on December 3, 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 sports centre for people in Edinburgh and beyond to enjoy for decades to come".
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