Wellcome May Make Olympic Park Bid
The Wellcome Trust medical charity has confirmed that it is considering making a bid for the London 2012 Olympic Park.
A spokesperson for the trust has reportedly said that it was exploring the opportunity to become an investor in the site and ‘optimise the legacy of the Olympics’.
The spokesperson would not confirm a report from the Financial Times that the trust has already offered £1bn for the Olympic village – which is subject to a separate auction.
The spokesperson said: ‘The Wellcome Trust has been shortlisted by the Olympic Delivery Authority to submit a proposal for the purchase and long term management of the residential properties known as the Athletes Village’.
‘In exploring this opportunity further, we are giving detailed consideration as to how we may also become investors in the wider Olympic Park and optimise the legacy of the Olympics’.
The Trust is currently meeting with stakeholders to explore the possibility of a bid further.
Prime Minister David Cameron has recently expressed a wish to attract hi-tech investment to the 500-acre east London Park, and is likely to welcome the trust’s potential role in the project – increasing the chance of creating a science and technology centre at the site.
As well as the athletics village, the Olympic Park facilities also include the main stadium, an aquatics centre, a media centre and the velodrome – the first facility on the site to be completed, which opened last month.
