The 2026 Commonwealth Games facility has been slated for the old saleyards site in Delacombe.

Mayor Des Hudson told the media "you don't want something that doesn't leave the right legacy".

"I'm very open-minded into what it can be," he said.

"If there is a situation where a mix of temporary that can be moved off-site afterwards, if that's a better option going forward, then that's something we should definitely be looking at and willing to accept."

The state government has often sited the legacy of housing from an athletes' village as one of the great wins of a host city.

In October 2022, when deputy premier Jacinta Allan announced the saleyards as the village location, she said the project would be a "great legacy outcome".

"Adding to Ballarat housing stock, particularly looking at how we can add to that affordable and social housing."

This was an important legacy point for the City of Ballarat. In the Commonwealth Games document from July 2022, they said additional housing stock was needed and this village could provide the opportunity to create significant housing options.

Similar messages have been championed by Ballarat leaders and housing researchers.

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Cr Hudson said "we certainly need to get on with the job" of building the village.

"We are just two years and eight months away from when we would expect athletes to be going in, the state government will be aware of those pressures. The minister has taken control of that site so it will be done under the delegation of the planning minister, which is great."

The village will include an estimated 301 new houses; tenders for soil remediation are expected to be announced in the middle of this year, while early civil works are expected to begin later this year.

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