The Olympic Club is hoping to install a climbing wall at a high-rise condo being built next to it.

The 4,314 square-foot lot on Dundonald Street - which formerly housed the Bermuda War Veterans Association - has been vacant since the building was sold and demolished last year.

Developer Gilbert Lopes has plans for a seven-storey building and S.h.y. architecture have had to submit the wall design to an architects advisory panel before it can go to the Development Application Board.

A company spokesman said if all goes well work on the project 18-month-plus project could start in April.

Olympic Club owner Scott Stallard said he had wanted to build a climbing wall for years because much of Bermuda's cliffs were too crumbly for sport. He said he had hoped to build on the neighbouring lot which he owns a part of but the cost was too high.

He said: "Gilbert owns the rest of it and had plans for this seven-story apartment block and the wall next to the Olympic Club happens to be blank and it coincided with Gilbert's need to have an artistic element. He didn't want it blank."

He said an Oregon firm were lined up to build the wall which would be 55 feet at its peak and also be suitable for abseiling.