Four Bids For Olympic Stadium Tenancy
The Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) revealed at the weekend that it has received four bids for the future tenancy of the London 2012 Olympic Stadium – a significant reduction from the 16 parties that had initially expressed interest when the tender process was announced.
West Ham United, currently sitting third in the npower Championship, is the only party to confirm a bid.
The Hammers had originally looked set to secure use of the Olympic Stadium post-London 2012, only to see its deal with Newham Council collapse in October.
The OPLC was instructed to start a new process to secure tenants after the original decision to award the stadium to West Ham in February 2011 sparked legal challenges from Tottenham Hotspur and third tier team Leyton Orient.
Tottenham had sought a judicial review in the belief that a £40 million loan from Newham Council gave West Ham an unfair economic advantage and made the original decision unlawful, although Spurs have since dropped its interest in favour of developing its own stadium near to its current White Hart Lane home.
Post London 2012, the Olympic Stadium will be downsized from an 80,000 capacity to 60,000 at a reported cost of £35m, with the running track retained as a key part of the venue’s legacy plan.
It will also be used for the 2017 World Athletics Championships.
A decision on the successful bidder is expected in May, ahead of the opening of the Games on 27th July.
