The work of the Gibraltar High Performance Center, located in the town of Kennedy, to the south of Bogotá, will not be delivered according to the original schedule that established that it should be delivered in 2026. However, the delay would obey changes in the planning of the project that must be adjusted to a land that was previously a waste dump.
The initial project design included scenarios for judo, artistic gymnastics, swimming, taekwondo and a velodrome with international standards, so it promised to become the most important sports complex in the city, but the reality is that after almost three years that it has started its construction remains far from being delivered to the Bogota.
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According to the Personería de Bogotá, the project was awarded in December 2023, during the administration of former mayor Claudia López, with an original 26 -month execution period; That is, it should be ready in the second quarter of 2025. However, that was not fulfilled, so the delivery had to postpone another year.
Additionally, The work of the sports center was hired with an original budget of $ 151,550 million, while that of the velodrome, which must comply with the standards of the International Cycling Union (ICU), was awarded with $ 132,821 million.
However, as well as the deadline, the budget was also affected by delays, since the project is being built in a land that until 1989 was a dump of garbage, waste and even toxic waters that emanate from garbage, which forced the modification of the designs.
According to the director of the District Institute of Recreation and Sports (IDRD), Daniel García, the anomalies in the field were detected by the same builders who conducted new studies and designs, which produced the disbursement of new resources that were not contemplated in the original contract.
According to the district control entity, The work was designed with characteristics of a traditional construction, so it was not taken into account that it was going to be lifted in a land that had been a garbage dump, which, according to the personality, requires different specifications.
According to statements delivered by Andrés Castro Franco, Personero de Bogotá, to Caracol newsThe entity initiated disciplinary investigations to determine the responsibilities of district officials that could have incurred behaviors not allowed when approved the designs without taking into account the type of soil.
In turn, Castro said that the project had a delivery date between the second and third quarter of 2026, but with the delays associated with the modification of the designs, the work is expected to be completed in 2027.
“We have managed to show that these weaknesses that arise in the designs are affecting the execution of the works. We will initiate some inquiries in disciplinary matters to establish the responsibilities that can be taken by some officials by allowing or approve of these designs.”the official indicated to the media cited.
However, and despite the delays that raise a blow to the district resources that are the product of the Bogota taxes, the administration at the head of Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán will continue with the project that seeks to benefit about two million inhabitants of the surrounding sectors.
The sports complex seeks not only to be a recreation space for the citizens of that sector, but also intends to be a strategic point for the growth of the city in sports matters as a place of preparation of athletes from various disciplines and, in addition, the reason for increasingly more international events are held the country.
