Plans for a new village to house more than 6,000 athletes and officials at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham have been abandoned after organisers conceded it would not be ready in time.
Work has started on the complex on the former Birmingham City University campus in Perry Barr and close to the Alexander Stadium where the track and field events will be held.
But the games' organisers have now admitted the village will not be finished in time after the project was impacted by the coronavirus.
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Around 2,800 athletes and officials will instead be accommodated at the University of Birmingham, a further 1,900 at the University of Warwick and the remaining 1,600 at hotels at the NEC in Solihull.
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A statement from the organisers said the project team had been working with its supply chain and independent experts on how it could de-risk the delivery of the 2022 Games.
"With a shorter-than-normal timeframe for delivery of the games, the new build accommodation site was under continued review from the outset.....and had very little scope to withstand the impact covid-19 has had on construction," the statement added.
"The new three-site campus model will be delivered within the overall budget of £778 million, with the games remaining on track to be delivered on time and on budget.
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"The decision to move to three villages has the support of athlete representatives and Commonwealth Games associations across the world who have been told of the new plans."
The city council-led Perry Barr Regeneration Scheme, which includes plans for thousands of new houses and transport infrastructure, will still be delivered.
Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games
Birmingham 2022 chief executive Ian Reid said: "These are challenging times for all of us and delivering a major multi-sports event during this period has meant we have needed to collaborate effectively, be pragmatic to change and remain realistic about the challenges we face.
"We recognise this new model is a move away from the historic norm and we are grateful for the support shown by our partners across the Commonwealth Games associations.
"Birmingham and the West Midlands is extremely fortunate to have superb alternate facilities and we are making this decision now, with two years to go, to de-risk the project, ensure delivery for athletes and teams and secure the legacy of new housing and transport infrastructure in Perry Barr."