THE head of Weymouth and Portland 2012 Operations team hailed the new Maritime Business Centre as a legacy of the Games.

Simon Williams said in excess of £45million-investment in Osprey Quay had revived the former naval site, which lost 4,500 jobs when it closed in 1999.

He said: “The new Maritime Business Centre completion really demonstrates, at a time when the economy is where we are, a desire for people to be part of the experience.”

Mr Williams said he was confident that the Castle Court development scheme, which faltered after the construction of RYA Portland House because of the recession, would be completed over the coming years as it had planning permission for a hotel and residential development.

He said Sunseeker boatbuilding company was also replacing the lost naval jobs and the sailing academy was generating money, jobs and indirect investment.

Last month’s Sail for Gold regatta boosted the local economy by £2million and the area is benefiting from the BT infrastructure for the media centre which would bring superfast broadband of up to 40mb, and would remain after the Games.

Mr Williams said Portland Port also had plans for marine development and was currently working with the council about being the base for Eneco’s off-shore wind turbine farm.

He added: “There’s the opportunity potentially for a construction future with supply maintenance and so on.”