Almaty 2017: the built infrastructure for the Winter Universiade will be accessible for city dwellers

ALMATY : Today, the Mayor of Almaty visited the building sites of Ice Arena with a 3 000 seating capacity, Ice Palace with 12 000 seating capacity and Athletes’ Village for 5 000 people. The city Mayor was informed of the preparation level of the venues and with a spectrum of possibilities of built infrastructure after holding the Winter Universiade 2017.

“As the Head of the State noted, hosting the WU is an important project that will bring significant economic and social benefits for our country. We should think about the further use of venues after the Games, taking into account that the pressure on the budget should be minimum and the venues should be accessible for the population. Hosting the WU should give a new impetus to the development of city, as well as improve city’s architectural aspects and increase the level of customer services in hotels, restaurants, public transportation and venues. All this will effect on stimulation of small and medium-sized businesses, increase the range of provided services and create new work places”, stressed Baurzhan Baibek.

It is necessary to note that the construction of the venues is on schedule for completion by the august, 2016. The venues are 70% – 80% complete. It also became known that the venues will be actively used after holding the WU 2017 during the visit. For instance, all the Athletes’ Village facilities and the palace with a 12 000 seating capacity will be actively used on the next day right after the WU 2017. The district’s Population services center will be located in Athletes’ Village Pyramid. According to the Department of Sport and Tourism, it will be a challenge to remodel the place in a few hours the next day right after WU.

“Today, we do not have any particular concern about the rate of construction. Today the Government is interested in further use and infrastructure of the venues after WU. We reported on what will happen with the venues during the WU, as well as after the WU. Now, we have demonstrated the way of transforming the FISU office into Olympic Training Center after the WU. Besides, we have shown the places for shopping malls, restaurants, SPA, halls for boxing, choreography and everything needed for sport. In other words, we can say that we are talking about new sports center for city, meaning that the Alatau district is becoming the sports center of the city,” stressed the Head of the Department of Sport and Tourism of Almaty Nail Nurov.

The training ice rink of the Ice arena (3000 seats)

Nail Nurov also pointed out that the Ice Palace with a 12 000 seating capacity will be an absolutely unique venue capable of holding any sports, cultural, entertaining and other events. Moreover, recently it has been decided that the futsal club “Kairat” will hold their home games in stadium with a 12 000 seating capacity. Besides, the volleyball and basketball teams will play here as well.

It is necessary to note that after holding the WU 2017, there will be built a football stadium with a track for running. Also it was noted that the WU accreditation center and kitchen blocks will be located in “Pyramid” of the Athletes Village thanks to which the dining room will be available for 5 000 athletes almost 24 hours a day. After the WU there will be a center designated for holding celebrations, large-scale events and conferences.

The Athletes Village will be divided into two sections. One of which will be given for public utility and used for the needs of the city dwellers. The housing units will be redistributed in accordance with the programme “affordable houses”, as far as they are 1,2,3 bedroom apartments.

(Source, OC Almaty 2017)