Work is finally set to get underway on a multi-million dollar grandstand at Bermuda's National Sports Centre.

At a special ground-breaking ceremony yesterday to mark the start of construction, Minister of Youth Sport and Recreation Dennis Lister said the Government had "refocused'' its intentions regarding the centre and promised the 2,000 seater structure would be completed by the end of next year.

The $11.5 million grandstand is the next phase of the development of the facility in Prospect, with the current phase -- construction of the northern fields -- nearing completion.

As well as the seating area, it will house changing rooms, concession areas, a press centre and rest rooms.

"The area has already been cleared so that the excavators can come in officially to break ground and get started with the project,'' Lister said.

"The project at this stage is one which we will have completed by the end of next year, 2001.'' Lister said work would simultaneously be carried out on the neighbouring cricket pavillion, with completion due within the next 12 months.

"This is part of the re-focusing process that the Government has brought in,'' he said. "We are quite pleased to reach this stage and we look forward to moving at a swift speed to be able to complete it on target and on budget.'' Donald Lines, chairman of the National Sports Centre Board of Trustees, said the Government had been very supportive of the scheme.

"It's a major project and we are very pleased with what we have achieved. I know at times the public has wondered if we are doing anything up here but if you look at what we have achieved since 1996 when we started you will see we have created temporary changing rooms and bathrooms for referees and spectators.

"We have taken over the sixth form centre and the former college which were in a terrible state of repair, torn them down and carted them away because they had asbestos in them,'' he said.

Work had begun on the northern field, Lines said, but when the PLP assumed power they sought a change to the plan of action.

"When the new Government came on board they said they would like us to finish the southern field and the grandstand. We hadn't had plans for it at that point so we had to go back to the drawing board and create those plans,'' Lines explained.

Bob Johnson, of consultants Johnson Sport Architecture, said the ground breaking marked a significant step forward.

"It's indeed a big day for all of us after a number of years of waiting for the commencement of the grandstand at the national stadium,'' he said.

"It has been a very interesting project for us to have involvement in. The project is one that had to be integrated into a 25 acre site -- literally every square inch has been masterplanned and a good portion of it has been built upon or will be built upon shortly.

"The challenge of the refocusing, in bringing the grandstand forward to a very predominant stage, was to ensure our masterplan stood the scrutiny of detailed design, to develop the design to make the entire 25 acre site operate as a coherent whole and to make sure that when all is done the project is delivered on time and on budget.'' Digging deep: Sports Minister Dennis Lister climbs on board an earth mover to cut the first sod, marking the beginning of work on a multi-million dollar grandstand at the National Sports Centre.