Olympic Stadium still without a tenant after 6 months

[Lyndhurst 14]

This could turn into something of a national embarrassment after an extremely successful Olympics. The ‘Legacy’ was made a big deal during the bidding process. Front runner still looks like West Ham but that would not be until 2016. Chairman of UK Athletics, Ed Warner, said it was turning into a Stratford Farce. The legacy use was due to start in 2014 now it will be 2 years late.

Future of Olympic Stadium remains uncertain

 

[ali jenkins]

Didnt they say that nobody would be moving in for a while yet because they have the world championships in a couple of years or something?

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

Just yesterday Live Nation signed a contract to use the Stadium instead of Hyde Park for concerts and festivals this Summer - so not totally without use.

Decided against still using Hyde Park after Westminster Council cut the sound at 10.30PM, halfway through a performance by Sir Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen.

 

[Wozza]

Just yesterday Live Nation signed a contract to use the Stadium instead of Hyde Park for concerts and festivals this Summer - so not totally without use.

Think you'll find that they're using the park, not the stadium.

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

Think you'll find that they're using the park, not the stadium.

Really ? Thought they were using the stadium - well its 1 use for the park anyway. BBC said they are using the "stadium and the park" - easy mistake.

 

[Bob!]

Think you'll find that they're using the park, not the stadium.

Olympic Stadium early July.
Olympic Park late July.

Live Nation strikes deal to exclusively host gigs at Olympic Stadium | Media | guardian.co.uk

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

Having recently visited the Olympic Park it it all looks rather sad and just underlines what a mess the legacy situation is when it could now be a real icon of what is good about the UK and capitalsing on the feelgood factor from London 2012. What a waste. OK the velodrome and aquatics centre (eventually) are being retained but its an embarrassment that the Olympic Stadium is lying empty. Especially given all the emphasis on 'legacy'. But surely this was inevitable given that a) the original design was budget driven with no capability to make it viable for both athletics and footie (a lack of joined-up thinking and huge mistake in my opinion), and then b) it will be the venue for the World Athletics champs, so cannot be properly converted for footie use without even more expense?

I do understand the need to have a decent venue for athletics given that the national sports centre (at the proper Crystal Palace) is very basic and not worthy of hosting any major championships. I also think WHU have been sold a pup, ok they seem to be getting an extremely favourable deal but I don't think the fans will be too happy given that some seats will be over 100 metres from the pitch. The whole thing is a classic political fudge along the lines of 'get us the Olympics and don't worry about the detail'.

 

[Wozza]

Really ? Thought they were using the stadium - well its 1 use for the park anyway. BBC said they are using the "stadium and the park" - easy mistake.

No, my mistake. Saw mock-up image of fans in park, and quote about park from LiveNation - but it's stadium too.

 

[Philzo-93]

The whole park is being renovated so there's completely no point in this happening! Trust me, it's going to be fine!

 

[Philzo-93]

Oh ad thy also said the Olympic venues won't be ready in time either. Look where that ended up

 

[Pavilionaire]

I fancy what's happened here is the Head of Sustainability though Legacy were handling it, while Legacy though Head Of Sustainability were dealing with it. Fortunately, there's West Ham. So that's all good.

 

[beorhthelm]

isnt UK Athletics one of the bodies that insists on athletics continuing there in the future, restricting the possibilities for future tenant?

i will never understand why, when they designed it so that the top tier could be removed, they didnt put in retractable seating from day one. they must have foreseen a football as an obvious leading contender, or other sports and events where a running track is undesirable/unnecessary.

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

Seven of the eight venues have legacy owners. Stadium will be sorted soon but after Tottenham threatened judicial reviews they have to take it very very slowly.

 

[Wozza]

The British Grand Prix has been moved to the Stadium in July... a day after I bought 9 tickets for the event at Crystal P*l*ce.

Tickets won't be transferred, but I'll get priority booking. Bet I can't buy 9 though. :-(

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Just yesterday Live Nation signed a contract to use the Stadium instead of Hyde Park for concerts and festivals this Summer - so not totally without use.

Decided against still using Hyde Park after Westminster Council cut the sound at 10.30PM, halfway through a performance by Sir Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen.

Good for the council. I wouldn't have let the middle of the road, has-beens get to a second song.

 

[MattBackHome]

Tickets won't be transferred,

Really? Poor show if that's true.

 

[Wozza]

Really? Poor show if that's true.

They're giving ticketholder priority booking - before pre-sale - which guarantees tickets for the stadium. And they've just confirmed that I can order the same number.

Pretty jammy given that I only ordered yesterday afternoon.

 

[Rich Suvner]

Having recently visited the Olympic Park it it all looks rather sad and just underlines what a mess the legacy situation is when it could now be a real icon of what is good about the UK and capitalsing on the feelgood factor from London 2012. What a waste. OK the velodrome and aquatics centre (eventually) are being retained but its an embarrassment that the Olympic Stadium is lying empty. Especially given all the emphasis on 'legacy'. But surely this was inevitable given that a) the original design was budget driven with no capability to make it viable for both athletics and footie (a lack of joined-up thinking and huge mistake in my opinion), and then b) it will be the venue for the World Athletics champs, so cannot be properly converted for footie use without even more expense?

I do understand the need to have a decent venue for athletics given that the national sports centre (at the proper Crystal Palace) is very basic and not worthy of hosting any major championships. I also think WHU have been sold a pup, ok they seem to be getting an extremely favourable deal but I don't think the fans will be too happy given that some seats will be over 100 metres from the pitch. The whole thing is a classic political fudge along the lines of 'get us the Olympics and don't worry about the detail'.

The park is being re-opened this summer so I think your assessment is a littel bit premature.

As for the stadium, why should the needs of football fans have featured highly during the design, when it's not even a certainty now who will take over? I would wager good money however that the stadium tenancy is sorted in the next 12-18 months.

Personally I think the legacy will be a positive one with regards to use of the site and regeneration of the area.

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

I would wager good money however that the stadium tenancy is sorted in the next 12-18 months.

I hope it is, but I can see the delay playing into the hands of prospective tenants possibly allowing them to negotiate discounts and incentives from the Government.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

Even if the hand-over isn't for a couple of years it should take 5 or 7 people on a commitee about 2 weeks to decide who gets it and when. Any longer and it's just dragging things out so that 'jobs for the boys' types can make an absolute fortune for doing sweet FA