The multi-million pound project is a joint venture between Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Sheffield City Council, based in the East of the City.

EIS Sheffield is the largest multi-sport English Institute of Sport venue in the country and provides state-of-the-art indoor sporting and fitness facilities for the local community and elite athletes, including Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill, as well as hosting the British Boxing squad and the EIS sport science and medical services.

IceSheffield is the second venue added to the OLP project and is a national Centre of Excellence for figure skating and ice hockey and was used as a preparation camp for Team GB's figure skaters and skeleton athletes Shelly Rudman and Kristan Bromley ahead of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.

Project lead and former Sports Minister Richard Caborn speaking about the plans said "in EIS Sheffield and iceSheffield, we've got two of the best sporting facilities in the UK so it's a real coup to secure the venues within the Olympic Legacy Park."

He added: "The OLP will be home to the only research facility in this country and, we believe Europe, with elite and professional athletes and educational organisations all on one site and EIS Sheffield and iceSheffield are both important features in this unique set up."

iceSheffield was used by Team GB Winter Olympic athletes in the build up to Sochi 2014 ©Legacy Park Limited



At the centrepiece of the endeavour is an Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC), which is aimed at delivering the Olympic Legacy on Health and will be home to around 50 researchers with indoor and outdoor laboratories, which will be used to carry out research on physical activities.

"The Olympic Legacy Park is a fantastic new development for Sheffield which we're proud to be part of," said Steve Brailey, chief executive of Sheffield City Trust, which both the EIS Sheffield and iceSheffield are both part of.

"As world-class facilities which balance the health needs of the local community with supporting Olympic and World Level athletes, EIS Sheffield and iceSheffield are a perfect fit for the OLP."

A new stadium and indoor community arena are also being built on the site of the former Don Valley Stadium, with the Sheffield Eagles Rugby League club due to become the main tenant of the new stadium, which will feature a synthetic pitch with a 2,500-seater main stand, and a 50-bed hotel with catering and hospitality areas.

The overall cost of the Olympic Legacy Park is an estimated £50 million ($80 million/€64 million) with the facility due to house a combined primary and secondary school once opened.