London Update: New Mayor Opens Olympic Brief, Aquatics Centre, IOC Visit

London sport minister Kate Hoey and Mayor Boris Johnson, who wears a blue London 2012 pin on his lapel. (Getty Images)Mayor Johnson Meets Olympic Board

New London mayor Boris Johnson says he will be paying attention to costs of the 2012 Olympics on city taxpayers, perhaps signaling a shift from predecessor Ken Livingstone, who dwelled on the regenerative powers of the Games for East London.

Johnson co-chaired his first meeting of the Olympic Board May 15, the four-member body that oversees major issues involved with the Games. His colleague as the other co-chair is Tessa Jowell, the Labour Olympic minister who helped run Livingstone’s unsuccessful campaign for re-election.

"We've got to make sure that the benefits from the Olympics and the sporting enthusiasm that they generate are felt right the way across London," Johnson said after the meeting.

Johnson, a Conservative, announced the appointment of Labour MP Kate Hoey commissioner for sport, responsible for carrying out that goal.

Hoey, who was critical of the London Olympic bid, is supposed to focus on the sports benefits of the Games and will not be Johnson’s delegate to the LOCOG Board of Directors chaired by Sebastian Coe.

Hoey says her view of the Olympics will not hinder her work with Johnson.

"I'm sure we will all be able to work very hard together because I'm determined to really get sport much higher up the priority list of both government and London government," she told reporters.

Johnson says he will describe his plan for sport in a paper to be issued soon.

He will bring aboard experts to scrutinize the budget for the Games and related infrastructure as part An interior view of the proposed Aquatic Centre for the Games. of his scrutiny of Olympic finances.

Aquatics Centre Approval

One of the iconic venues planned for the London Games is a step closer to completion with the approval of the Aquatic Centre by the Independent Planning Committee for the Olympic Park. The 17,500 arena is designed by Zaha Hadid and has come under scrutiny for initial cost estimates that were a budget buster. Construction is supposed to start in this summer.

Power Line Project Progress

Underground cabling for the new electrical distribution grid at the London Olympic Park is complete and ready for testing. Digging the tunnels and laying cable began shortly after London won the Games in 2005. Once the cables are tested and proven, the park grid will switch to the new system, allowing the removal of the high voltage pylons that cross the Olympic site.

IOC Visits Next Week

The IOC Coordination Commission for London 2012 makes its annual visit May 20 to 22. With a number of big projects about to come on-line, the IOC panel will be briefed on the pending construction. Denis Oswald will lead the IOC Coordination Commission meeting.

The meeting will also provide the first opportunity for commission chair Denis Oswald and his 15 colleagues to size-up the new London mayor, Boris Johnson.

The commission is scheduled to visit Wembley Stadium, site of the football finals for 2012.

For the first time, the IOC commission will convene in the Park Lane neighborhood in London’s west, miles away from the London 2012 headquarters in Canary Wharf. The commission will stay at the Park Lane Hilton, one of several hotels in the area that will serve as the home for the IOC and other VIPs during the Games.

Written by Ed Hula

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