Olympic Stadium Decision Postponed; Cultural Olympiad Funding

Stadium Decision Postponed

London's Olympic Stadium legacy may not be known for at least another two weeks.

Olympic Park Legacy Company, the body charged with deciding the stadium’s fate decided to postpone its decision on the preferred bidder.

The decision means West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur, the two London Premier League clubs vying to take control of the venue following the Games, have a further fortnight to lobby the OPLC. Both clubs submitted their bids on Friday.

"Given the detailed nature of both bids received, we need more time to seek further clarification with both bidders in order to identify a preferred bidder," the OPLC said in a statement Monday.

"The stadium is a significant public asset and we have a duty to run a robust process.

"Securing the most appropriate solution for the stadium is vital to our long-term aspirations for the future Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the wider regeneration of the area."

After the furor over Spurs' plans to demolish the 80,000-seat stadium to build a bespoke venue for football, the OPLC made a point of adding that it's 15-member board still had the option of rejecting both football clubs, and going with original plans to convert the stadium into a 25,000-seat, mixed-use venue.

West Ham would retain the athletics track and reconfigure the stadium to 60,000 seats. Their plan has heavyweight backing from IOC president Jacques Rogge, athletics federation president Lamine Diack, and LOCOG chairman Sebastian Coe.

Spurs' plans have caused a storm of controversy. Mike Lee, the former communications chief of the London 2012 bid which promised the IOC an athletics legacy, now runs P.R. company Vero Communications and is advising the club. Lee is also a former West Ham board member.

The additional two weeks will frustrate West Ham who were firm favorite to become the preferred bidder; the extra time will allow Spurs to build-up their P.R. strategy and enhance their chances of taking over the stadium.

Coe on Sunday attacked Spurs' legacy pitch that calls for Crystal Palace athletics stadium in south London to be given a significant upgrade.

"It's serious we deliver what we said we were going to unless we're prepared to trash our reputation," Coe told BBC Radio Five, in his strongest comments to date on the battle for the Olympic Stadium.

"It'd be very difficult for us to be taken seriously in the corridors of world sport and arguably beyond."

The OPLC said the two bids were being evaluated against the following criteria:

- To achieve a viable long-term solution for the Olympic Stadium that is deliverable and provides value for money;

- To secure a partner with the capability to deliver and operate a legacy solution for a venue of the Stadium’s size and complexity;

- To re-open the stadium for operational use as rapidly as possible following the 2012 Games;

- To ensure that the stadium remains a distinctive physical symbol supporting the economic, physical and social regeneration of the surrounding area;

- To allow flexible usage of the stadium, accommodating a vibrant program of events allowing year round access for schools, the local community, the wider public and elite sport.

The OPLC's recommendation on a preferred bidder is subject to approval by the government and London Mayor Boris Johnson.

More Funding for Cultural Olympiad

Thirteen deaf and disabled artists will have more than a million dollars at their disposal as they craft their commissions for London’s Cultural Olympiad.

LOCOG announced Monday the $1.3 million injection to "Unlimited", an arts program encouraging collaboration between disability-led and mainstream organizations ahead of the 2012 Olympics.

The London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, UK Arts Councils and British Council awarded the funds for a second round of Unlimited commissions to include a circus show depicting the mood swings associated with bipolar disorder and the planting of ceramic flowers at historical sites throughout England.

"This is an astonishingly diverse and eclectic bunch of artists and performers," London mayor Boris Johnson said in a statement.

"It shows how much creativity there is out there and will add to the breadth and excitement of the 2012 cultural program, as well as helping to break down barriers."

Applications for the third and final round of commissions are available here.

Written by Mark Bisson and Matthew Grayson.