During the London 2012 Games, sailing will take place Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour and the £13 million ($20.5 million/€15 million) Officers Field development of 77 houses will form the Athletes' Village.

Over the next four months the developer ZeroC will complete the internal fit out of the houses and the landscaping of the site before the handover to London 2012 in January.

The site will then be handed back to ZeroC following the conclusion of the Gmaes with 19 of the high quality homes set to be transferred to Magna Housing Association as affordable housing and 58 homes to be sold on the open market.

The celebration event saw triple jump Olympic gold medallist Jonathan Edwards (pictured) unveil a plaque within the scheme's central square.

"With the topping out ceremony at Officers Field today, another milestone is achieved in the preparations for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Sailing competitions," said Edwards.

"Thank you to all the partners on the Sailing Village project, I know the competitors will enjoy making first use of this high quality accommodation so close to the sailing venue.

"Most importantly, the development is a significant contribution to the revival of the Osprey Quay area and I am sure many people from Weymouth and Portland will enjoy looking around the site this coming weekend.

"I am confident there will be much interest in the purchase opportunities, both from the local area and from further afield."

Sales of the open market housing start later this month on September 17 with the opening of the show home.


Prices for one bedroom homes start at £135,000 ($213,080/156,000), two bedroom homes at £160,000, ($252,540/€185,000) three bedroom homes at £175,000 ($276,220/€202,000) and four bedroom homes at £275,000 ($434,010/€317,000).

ZeroC, is offering purchasers that buy a house prior to the Games in 2012 a rent guarantee during the period the home is leased to London 2012 that is worth up to £10,000 ($15,750/€11,5000).

Although ZeroC was going to build on Officers Field before the lease to London 2012 was agreed, the Sailing Village lease has made it possible for ZeroC to deliver the homes much earlier than would have been the case.

"ZeroC has greatly enjoyed working with the London 2012 Organising Committee, and the local authority, to deliver a first-class Athletes Village," said Kim Slowe, managing director of ZeroC.

"Developers very rarely get the opportunity to participate in such a high profile event and Officers Field has the added bonus that it is delivering much needed, high quality, sustainable housing to Portland at affordable prices."

To accommodate the Games requirements, ZeroC is making some minor changes to the internal layouts of the houses to maximise bed spaces.

Kitchens are being left out of the houses as a temporary central dining facility is being erected on the adjacent Chesil Federation School development site.

The kitchens will be fitted, and the minor internal changes reversed, after the Games and before the houses are finally handed over to their new owners.

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