PyeongChang 2018 breaks ground on the construction of the Olympic & Paralympic Village
24.09.2015The Village will be completed in September 2017 and will benefit from maximised accessibility.
POCOG is committed to building a Village that will provide the best environment for athletes so they can be in optimal condition for their competition.”
On Tuesday 22 September a groundbreaking ceremony was held to launch construction of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Village with numerous key officials in attendance.
PyeongChang 2018 Organising Committee (POCOG) President Yang-ho Cho; Chair of the IOC Co-ordination Commission for PyeongChang 2018 Gunilla Lindberg; IOC Co-ordination Commission members; Mayor of PyeongChang City, President of Yongpyong Resort and all related stakeholders were present.
The construction project will be carried out at the site of the 42,000m2 Yongpyong Dome located in the PyeongChang Mountain Cluster and will be built with an investment by a private company, the Yongpyong Resort. The village has been designed as multi-functional resort type apartments in order to provide an athlete-oriented environment while ensuring an eco-friendly atmosphere with maximised accessibility. Once the construction is completed in September 2017, it is expected to accommodate some 3,500 athletes that will be attending the Games. The PyeongChang Olympic Village will also be used as the PyeongChang Paralympic Village.
After Games time, the PyeongChang Village will be sold in individual blocks to the public and this decision will create a legacy for the local community and save POCOG more than USD 8.5 million. With the construction of the PyeongChang Village, both the population and income will grow in PyeongChang City and Gangwon Province which will help boost the local economy and winter sports tourism.
POCOG President Yang-ho Cho commented at the ceremony: “POCOG is committed to building a Village that will provide the best environment for athletes so they can be in optimal condition for their competition. POCOG also wants it to be as comfortable as they are at home where they can relax and enjoy meeting fellow athletes from around the world.”
POCOG will endeavour to support in every possible way the cooperation with all relevant stakeholders to ensure the on-time completion of the PyeongChang Village.
The PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games will take place between 9-18 March 2018.