The organisers of the London 2012 Olympics have invited the world to enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the completed “world-class venues” where the Games will be held next year. 

The new aerial images show the transformation which has taken place this year at the Olympic Park in east London, where the Games will start next July.

Building is now 90% complete and the Olympic Delivery Authority is on track to hand the site over to the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) early next year.

The images give a spectacular view of the park’s centrepiece, the Olympic Stadium, which was completed in March.

Also featured are venues such as the aquatics centre, the velodrome and BMX track, the basketball arena and handball arena, and the hockey centre, all unveiled during the course of the year.

And the pictures show that the site’s parklands - which include 4,000 semi-mature trees, more than 300,000 wetland plants and more than 10 football fields worth of meadows - and the international broadcast centre and main press centre are also ready to go.

That just leaves the Olympic Village, also seen from above as it approaches completion early next year.

Lord Coe, chairman of LOCOG, said: “A huge amount has been achieved over the past 12 months with iconic new venues completed and test events bringing world-class sport to the Olympic Park for the first time.

“We still have much to do but there is growing excitement as we count down to the Games next summer.”

Source: London24
Tags: VENUES | INFRASTRUCTURE

Number greater than deployment in Afghanistan but defence secretary insists it will not affect operational capabilities. 

Up to 13,500 military personnel will be on duty in London and across the country during the Olympic Games next summer, the government has revealed, including 7,500 to boost the number of security staff inside Olympic venues.

The number is greater than the 9,500 deployed in Afghanistan, although the defence secretary, Phillip Hammond, insisted the large call on the armed forces would not affect operational capabilities elsewhere.

Hammond also revealed that the Royal Navy's largest ship, 22,500-tonne helicopter carrier HMS Ocean, would be based in Greenwich for the duration of the Games, while assault vessel HMS Bulwark would be moored in Weymouth, where the sailing events will take place.

An "appropriate and scaleable" air security plan includes Typhoon aircraft at RAF Northolt, helicopters operating from HMS Ocean and "appropriate" surface to air missile systems.

The police will also deploy up to 12,000 officers on the busiest days of the Games, with the operation being planned on the basis that the terrorist threat level will be set at severe. "This defence contribution is on a similar scale to that deployed at other recent Olympic Games and will contribute to ensuring a safe, secure and enjoyable 2012 Olympics," Hammond said.

"Defence will continue to be able to support current and contingent operations during the Games and my priority will remain the troops we have deployed on operations, including in Afghanistan, before, during and after the Olympics."

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that such were the numbers required that some troops on leave from Afghanistan may have their "holidays interrupted" to serve at the Olympics, though it stressed that they would not lose any days overall.

"Holiday leave will be profiled. This means that some troops who are back within six months of the end of deployment from Afghanistan may be required for the Olympics, though that is not certain at this stage," Hammond told the BBC. "If they are, then they will not lose any holiday. They will still have a full entitlement."

As expected, 7,500 military personnel will be required to help London 2012 organisers inside Olympic venues and training camps, after the number of security staff required soared from an initial estimate of 10,000 to 23,700. Costs have almost doubled from £282m to £553m.

Earlier this year, G4S were contracted on the basis of the initial figure, but the number required rose as a result of a detailed review over the spring and summer. The G4S employees and the military will be augmented by 3,000 or more volunteers and newly trained staff.

Another 5,000 military staff will be deployed to help civil authorities in areas including bomb disposal and search capabilities. They are expected to be kept largely out of sight, as the national Olympic security co-ordinator, Chris Allison, has repeatedly stressed it will be a "blue Games" on the streets.

But the sizable military contingent within the 150-plus Olympic venues and training sites will all be in uniform. Organisers have likened their role to that undertaken annually by the military at Wimbledon.

On top of the 5,000 military personnel to support the police and the 7,500 to contribute to the security effort inside the venues, there will be an additional 1,000 deployed to provide logistical support. The overall figure also does not include those who will be given ceremonial duties.

In a statement, the government said it was "clear that the Games should be a peaceful celebration of sporting achievement and a cultural celebration – not a security event".

Along with transport, security has always been seen as the biggest challenge around the Games facing the government and Olympic organisers.

In addition to the £553m bill for security in venues, there is £600m within the Olympic budget for police provision outside the venues. The government said last year it expected the Metropolitan police to be able to deliver for £475m, but Allison said recently there was no guarantee that would be the case.

"Our relationship with the armed forces has developed over a number of years and we have huge experience in working with them to deliver major events," he said.

"Their support to our operation is built on these tried-and-tested practices. I know that they will also provide excellent support to the event organisers, Locog's [the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games], own venue security operation."

The National Audit Office last week warned there was a "real risk" that the £9.3bn public sector funding package for the Games would not prove sufficient given the soaring security costs and other potential risks.
Ministers remain confident they will remain within the £9.3bn budget but accept that, according to the most likely risk profile, there is only £36m of headroom on current projections.

Source: The Guardian
Tags: SECURITY | TOURISM

It will be expensive and hard to get tickets, but going to the 2012 Summer Games is a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

You yawned at the royal wedding in April. You were happy to miss the riots in August. But you're determined to be a part of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

This means either making a 80-metre discus throw, pronto, or studying up fast on the ticket, transport and hotel situation. The Games are July 27-Aug. 12. The Paralympic Games follow, Aug. 29-Sept. 9.

The hub of the action is Stratford, about 13 kilometres northeast of Big Ben and central London (and not to be confused with the Shakespearean tourist town of Stratford-Upon-Avon).

When I visited in February, work was well along, and the area was crawling with heavy equipment. By the end of July, officials said construction had been completed on all six major venues in the new 200-hectare Olympic Park: an 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium, an aquatics centre, a velodrome, a handball arena, a basketball arena and a broadcast center. The park's athletes' village will house about 17,000 competitors and officials.

Many of the 302 events (in 34 venues) will take place at familiar Londonarea landmarks: soccer at Wembley Stadium, tennis at Wimbledon, archery at Lord's Cricket Ground, road cycling in Regent's Park and latter-round basketball at North Greenwich Arena.

For details on just about every aspect of the Games, go to www.london2012.com.

During the Games, officials say they expect as many as 200,000 visitors a day within Olympic Park.

Between events, many will head next door to the vast Westfield Stratford City mall, which opened Sept. 13 with 1.9 million square feet of retail space, a casino, bowling, a 17-screen cinema and two hotels. Overall, tourism officials say Britain, which had about 30 million international visitors in 2010, is likely to draw an extra 900,000 or so in 2012 because of the Olympics.

Getting there: It's not just the Olympics that make this a tough airfare; it's the usual summer jump in prices. A Dec. 22 search for Victoria-London Heathrow (through Vancouver) on the Air Canada website showed the lowest available roundtrip fare (taxes included) at $1,915 for a June 26 flight (returning a week later); $1,975 for a July 26 flight; and $1,632 for an Aug. 26 flight.

Getting in: There are said to be 8.8 million Olympics tickets and two million more for the Paralympics, but many events are sold out. (Tickets went on sale early this year.) There might be a chance at tickets not yet sold, but no guarantees. If so, officials say it would probably come in the next few weeks or in early 2012. Meanwhile, there might be a way to get tickets, especially if your pockets are deep.

The name to know is CoSport. The Canadian Olympic Committee has given the company exclusive rights to sell tickets and ticket packages by phone and Internet in Canada. The CoSport website, www.cosport.ca, will have up-to-date info on additional ticket releases, and consumers can sign up to receive updates. CoSport's toll-free line: (877) 457-4647.

Though it doesn't have individual tickets, CoSport is selling multiple-event packages, sometimes including hotel stays, at prices that may terrify Olympic amateurs. These sales, which began in early 2011, will end two months before the Games or when the supply is exhausted, whichever comes first.

Flexibility is crucial to landing tickets, said Mark Lewis, chief executive of CoSport's parent company, Jet Set Sports. "Maybe you've never seen a team handball match or never seen a weightlifting competition," he said. "But to go do that during the Olympics - those are awesome things to see."

Remember, to buy Olympics tickets, you must use a Visa card (Visa is a major sponsor).

Getting a room: As often happens with the Olympics, organizers are holding back most of greater London's 140,000 hotel rooms, residence halls and student dorms while they arrange housing for dignitaries and such. Once those lodgings are sorted out, hotels are expected to release rooms on Jan. 24. (Officials haven't said how many rooms they expect to release, but many will probably be grabbed up by tour operators.) Still, there are London hotels that can be booked now. For the options, and the daunting prices, go to www.visit london.com/accommo dation-during-the-games.

Because many Olympic venues are far from Olympic Park, a hotel an hour's train ride outside London might make sense. Also, your odds of finding a place increase if you consider some of the 30,000 or more apartments, hostel rooms and home-stay options.

Getting around: The idea is that nobody should drive to these Games. Toward that end, an expansion of London's extensive rail transit system includes high-speed trains that race from St. Pancras station in central London to the Stratford International station (next to Olympic Park) in as little as seven minutes.

Tickets to most events come with a Games Travelcard good for free dayofevent travel on most public trains and buses in the city. Three "gateway" rail stations neighbour Olympic Park: Stratford International, Stratford Regional and West Ham.

Getting a fair price: Prices tend to rise, sometimes dramatically, during the Olympics. But dozens of London tourist attractions have signed a "visitor charter" pledging to "maintain normal prices" during the Games. Among the signers: the London Eye, the Tower of London and the London Walks tour company.

© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist

Source: The Gazette
Tags: TOURISM | EVENTS | VENUES | ACCOMMODATION | TRANSPORTATION

More than a quarter of Londoners are planning to leave the city during the Olympics next year with one in 20 expecting to rent out rooms or homes to cash in on the Games.

With less than a year to go, people living in the capital are already taking bookings for London 2012 as room rates soar by more than 2,000 per cent for the two-week period next July.

While five per cent have plans to rent their property, almost 10 per cent said they would like to but were worried about security and cost, according to a YouGov survey.

The poll, commissioned by accommodation website Wimdu, questioned more than 1,000 Londoners.

It found a third were leaving the city because they did not want to face congestion when travelling, while two in five said they were worried about security.

But many also have plans to profit from the first home Games since 1948.

Sadia Rahman, who owns two five-bedroom properties in Stratford, east London, has already received a booking from Germany for one of her rooms during the Olympics.

Miss Rahman, 26, said she had been able to increase her prices from £22 to up to £500 per night – an increase of more than 2,100 per cent.

“Every day we’re getting a lot of enquiries about it – about four or five a day,” she said.

“Around 99 per cent are from out of the UK, coming from Germany, Italy, mostly Europe, asking how far it is from the Olympic park. During the Olympic period we’re charging a lot. We’re in a prime location for the Olympics.

“I think it is a very big opportunity. Honestly speaking, I didn’t expect that I would get that much. I think all the Londoners are very excited about it.

“We are expecting to fill all of the rooms because of the response we’re getting. I think a lot of landlords in east London are interested in doing this.”

According to Wimdu, the number of Londoners renting out properties will mean an extra 400,000 rooms available for the influx of visitors next year.

With average rent for the whole of the Olympics at £4,200 for a double room, people in London stand to make a total of £1.6 billion.

While one in three said they planned to stay in the capital during the Games to “soak up the atmosphere”, three per cent of those leaving the city said they would be renting out their home.

More than a quarter said they thought it would be a good time to go on holiday.

A spokesperson from London & Partners, the official promotional organisation for the capital, said: “July and August are popular times for Londoners to take annual leave and we are aware that some Londoners may decide to move their holiday from other times of the year to take place over the Olympic period instead.

“We know that many Londoners want to remain in the capital to enjoy the Olympic celebrations, free sporting events and cultural activities taking place throughout the summer.”

Michael Riegel, CEO of Wimdu UK said: “As a city we still haven’t felt the rush of hosting the Olympics. It won’t be until we enter 2012 that things will really pick up and Londoners will start getting in the Olympic mood.

"However hosting the Olympics will not be without its challenges for London. Millions of guests will be visiting from all over the world and we will face the problem of a severe shortage of accommodation, but this challenge also represents a great money-making opportunity for Londoners.

"People with spare rooms or those who will be leaving the city to avoid the chaos of Olympic congestion can let out their rooms to tourists and earn a small fortune during the games."

Source: Telegraph
Tags: ACCOMMODATION | TOURISM

Six developers have been shortlisted for the first neighbourhood to arrive on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Set to be called Chobham Manor, the residential property scheme will be located between the VeloPark and Athletes Village, with 70 per cent of the 800 homes earmarked to be large enough for families.

The news from the Olympic Park Legacy Company comes after the British Council for Offices (BCO) recently predicted a rally in rents for east London offices as a result of the 2012 Games.

BCO chief executive Richard Kauntze explained rents for East End offices will increase, so long as companies can enjoy a well-connected public transport system, helping boost tenant demand.

With new homes set to be built in this part of the capital, businesses may find having a base here proves favourable, as individuals and families could look for local employment.

In addition, Stratford regional and international train stations will be within walking distance and connect to nine rail lines.

Taylor Wimpey and London & Quadrant, East Thames and Countryside Properties and St James Group are three of the shortlisted six developers.

They are joined by Barratt Homes and Le Frak Organisation, Notting Hill Housing, United Housing and HTA and the Swan Housing Association, Urban Splash and Yoo & Mace.

In 2014, the first residential properties are expected to be delivered. Commenting on the news, chief executive of the Olympic Park Legacy Company Andrew Altman said: "We have received an extremely strong response from developers interested in building Chobham Manor. This reflects the strong market appetite to develop family housing in the first neighbourhood to be created in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park."

At the end of November, the Olympic Delivery Authority Planning Committee approved a £1.3 billion development that includes 4 million sq ft of Grade A offices, known as the International Quarter.

The plans also feature a hotel and 350 homes.

Posted by John Evans

Source: Mellersh & Harding
Tags: ACCOMMODATION | INFRASTRUCTURE

It's not certain Usain Bolt could get his 6ft 5in frame into one of the new baths but the view the world-beating sprinter would get from the bedrooms is gold medal class.

The Sun was yesterday given a first look at the apartments and townhouses which will accommodate up to 17,000 Olympic athletes next year before becoming a ready-made new neighbourhood for East Londoners.

The newly-named East Village, on the doorstep of The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, promises to join the city's top addresses — with its own postcode, E20 — from 2013.

In the meantime it will be the base for Olympians like Jamaican Usain and Paralympians from more than 200 countries next year, including 550 athletes from Team GB.

Yesterday an army of 3,000 fluorescent-jacketed, hard-hatted workers was putting the finishing touches to the £1billion state-of-the-art development — landscaping gardens, laying pavements and testing how airtight the swish, underfloor-heated apartments are.

Furnishings will be moved in by The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games — LOCOG — early next year.

Even without the beds and wardrobes, it is already possible to see the stylish surroundings in which the athletes will relax as they prepare to compete.

The first competition will be to get one of the apartments with the best views.

Those who get booked into one on the western edge of the village will have a spectacular, uninterrupted sight of the Olympic Stadium a short sprint away and the whole of central London beyond.

Those accommodated in the north-facing blocks — rumoured to include British heptathlon hopeful Jessica Ennis and the rest of Team GB — will look out over the Velodrome, Basketball Arena and the Lea Valley.

Many of the other flats and townhouses boast vistas over the Olympic Park and the London skyline and all the athletes will be able to enjoy rooftop gardens with special wildlife habitats, wide tree-lined avenues, open parkland and private courtyard gardens — some already equipped with children's playgrounds for the families who will follow.

Those accommodated in the north-facing blocks — rumoured to include British heptathlon hopeful Jessica Ennis and the rest of Team GB — will look out over the Velodrome, Basketball Arena and the Lea Valley.

Many of the other flats and townhouses boast vistas over the Olympic Park and the London skyline and all the athletes will be able to enjoy rooftop gardens with special wildlife habitats, wide tree-lined avenues, open parkland and private courtyard gardens — some already equipped with children's playgrounds for the families who will follow.

The village will have a natural amphitheatre in the Victory Park at the heart of the development, where all Olympic teams arriving to be accommodated will be greeted with a rendition of their national anthem.

East Village, when it is made available after the Games for a mixture of private renting and affordable social housing, will boast a world-class education campus — Chobham Academy — which will offer education for 1,800 local students aged between three and 19 and a state-of-the-art Medical Centre.

For the Olympians, the already-built Polyclinic will offer not just medical facilities but a community centre where they can socialise. For now there is no sign of the 30 shops, cafés and restaurants which will be scattered around the village and no kitchens have yet been installed in any of the homes, which range from one-bedroom apartments to four-bedroom townhouses.

In Olympic Games mode, the kitchen areas of the homes will provide more bedroom space and the cookers, fridges, washing machines and cupboards will only be fitted after the Games, in time for new householders moving in from 2013.

Instead, LOCOG will erect a massive tented communal catering facility in the grounds of the village.

Each home's en-suite bathroom will be temporarily walled off from the master bedroom to become a second communal bedroom and the kitchen-to-be will be the fourth bedroom.

Athletes in the village will share two to a room so they can get to know each other as well as they want — at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Games organisers provided 100,000 condoms for the competitors.

At Sydney in 2000, they apparently provided only 70,000 — and had to order in an extra 20,000.

It's not yet known how many condoms the London 2012 organisers are planning to give out...

After the Games, the 11 blocks of flats and townhouses, each designed by a different architect, will provide 2,818 homes for 6,000 Londoners in a village the size of London's St James's Park.

The QDD consortium of the Qatari ruling family and the UK property developer Delancey, which has paid more than £550million to the Olympic Delivery Authority, will manage 1,439 of the homes for long-term private rent, with a two-bedroom apartment expected to cost around £1,300 a month. The other 1,379 homes will provide "affordable" housing, mostly rented but with some sold on a shared-ownership basis by housing association Triathlon Homes.

As well as having the Stratford station rail link and the massive new Westfield shopping centre on their doorstep, the new residents of East Village will have the magnificent sporting facilities of the Olympic Park a stroll away.

Ralph Luck, Director of Property at the Olympic Delivery Authority, said: "The East Village will become a significant new community within London, surrounded by world-class sports venues, shopping facilities and transport links. A key part of the Games bid was to create a lasting residential legacy and the ODA is delivering on that commitment as part of the sale of the Village to QDD and Triathlon."

Usain Bolt not included in the contents of the properties. For more information, go to eastvillagelondon.co.uk.

Source: The Sun
Tags: ACCOMMODATION | VILLAGE

It’s the greatest sporting spectacle on earth, but has it really been driving the transformation of East London? Team GB has pledged to come at least fourth in the medal table at next year’s Games. But the true test of the Olympics will be the one felt after the lights come up on the closing ceremony – when the wider legacy of the multi billion pound investment in East London gets its chance to stand on the medal podium, or not.

Who's buying what?
There are now hundreds of flats being built in the Olympic boroughs of London, and the same numbers being sold. Housing developments in Newham, Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest – some of the poorest and most deprived boroughs in the country - are now pulling in first-time buyers, owner-occupiers and investors who recognise they’ll get more bang for the buck if they buy a home  in this part of the Capital. And while not always moneyed, these new residents tend to come from the aspiring middle class – the types of residents who want to find a home with a high spec kitchen and a coffee shop lifestyle, or plan to rent their investment out to someone who does.

But to what extent is the Olympics driving this change out east?  Estate agents Hamptons International say the Games are part of a larger regeneration picture in East London. The transformation is also being driven by Canary Wharf’s status as a global business hub and by a good availability of land for development in the Docklands area, helped along by Tower Hamlets’ open-minded planning attitudes to converting industrial land to residential.

"East London is undergoing significant regeneration with widespread residential investment in the area, due in part to London 2012 as well the growth of the Canary Wharf business district,” says Hamptons International’s Richard Pine Coffin. “The 2012 Olympic legacy offers tremendous opportunities for East London with the creation of new transport links, including the much awaited East London River crossings, the extension of the East London tube network and Crossrail."

Demographic shift
This regeneration has already started to cause a demographic shift in East London. "We get a lot of single girls who want to buy here which is a good sign," says Ian Conway of Felicity J Lord ’s Stratford branch who is at the coalface of housing influenced by London 2012 accommodation . "Developments are safe and transport is second to none."

And while the area is popular with investors, the majority of those buying into the area are owner-occupiers, who Conway says are attracted by the area's new more cosmopolitan atmosphere. "The regeneration of Stratford is great and even just looking outside our office, we can see they really cleaned it up: there are plants, there’s greenery. It’s doing wonders for the area, because obviously Newham was the most deprived borough in London previously."

But is it down to the Olympics? Conway says yes, partly. "What we get here is almost an overflow of people from Canary Wharf. They’ve been renting there and paying exuberant amounts but now want to buy and can’t afford to do it there. We’re six stops on the DLR to Canary Wharf and three stops on the Jubilee line."
 
The price is right
Price is a major draw too, he says. “Stratford is probably one of the last places in East London that’s untapped in terms of price growth. Bow has gone through the roof in the past five years, but now people are coming that little bit further east."

And yet, Conway is convinced the real benefits of regeneration won’t be properly felt until well after the Games. "Obviously, the infrastructure is being put in now and they’re working day in and day out to create a nice atmosphere, but I don’t think we’ll see the full extent of it until after the Games, which is historically when Olympic cities tend to see the benefits of regeneration."

East London had started down the road to regeneration before London won the Olympics, says Ray Withers of property investment firm Property Frontiers, but the Games have been crucial in driving efforts forward. “Without the Olympic win we don’t feel the regeneration would have reached anywhere near the level it has now,” Withers says.
 
But whether London is awarded gold silver or bronze for it's regeneration efforts after the Games, won't be known until the greatest show on earth leaves town.

Source: Findaproperty.com
Tags: INFRASTRCUTURE | ACCOMMODATION

It is always a great time to visit London, but 2012 will be one of the best years in history to go to the famous city. 

London will host the Olympic Games from 27 July to 12 August 2012, which marks the third time that the English capital has hosted the Olympics since their modern revival in 1896. Visit during that period, and you will enjoy the sports played in the 2012 Olympics as well as the many world-famous attractions that are located in London. 
 
The 2012 Olympics will take place largely in the area of East London known as Stratford, which is located in the Borough of Newham. Most Olympic events will take place in the London Olympic Park, a multi-acre facility that is currently under construction and will be completed shortly before the 2012 games begin. The stadia and athletic centres housed in the London Olympic Park are must-see locations themselves even before the competitions begin. 
 
When you visit London, you will certainly want to tour the London Olympic Park, but that is not the only place in the city where 2012 Olympics events will be held. Wimbledon, the historic, world-class, tennis stadium will feature the Olympic tennis matches. Lord's Cricket Ground, a site with a rich history that dates back to 1814, is the site of the archery competitions. Wembley Stadium, as well as other stadia in the UK, will host football teams as they qualify and compete for the gold, silver, and bronze medals. Volleyball teams will play for the win in Horse Guards Parade. Any visitor to London should visit these locales no matter when they come to the city, but the 2012 Olympics give you even more reasons to see these sites. 
 
While in London, you will also want to see the historic locations that are not directly tied to the London 2012 Olympics. Here are some of the highlights you must include on your itinerary: 
 
• Buckingham Palace — The home of Britain's royal family is one of the most famous residences in the world and a favourite destination for travellers to the city. 
 
• The British Museum — In the British Museum, you can see famous artefacts such as the Rosetta Stone and ancient biblical manuscripts. There is something from nearly every continent and historical period in the museum's collection of over eight million items. 
 
• Westminster Abbey — One of the most famous churches in the world, Westminster Abbey is the location where the British kings and queens are crowned. You can also see the gravesites of some of the most important British citizens who have ever lived. 
 
• The London Eye — See the entire city of London when you ride this spectacular Ferris wheel. 
 
• Parliament — Visitors can watch the British Parliament argue over legislation and see many historic sites here. 
 
Whether you are coming just for the Olympics 2012 or want to see other sites in the city, London is the ideal destination for your next holiday. Start planning your trip now so that you will get the best travel and accommodation deals for your holiday in London.

Source: The Leader
Tags: TOURISM 

In the late summer of 2012, the sporting world’s eyes will be upon London where the XXX Olympics (oh, behave!) will kick off with much fanfare and probably a good many shots on the television of the Queen’s Guard marching about seriously.

If all goes well for Olympic organizers, it’ll also feature a stadium with a new name. The Daily Mail reports that the Olympic Park Legacy Company is “looking to raise about £10million ($13.5 million) a year in naming rights for the three main arenas in Stratford after the 2012 Games.”

With the Olympic ceremonies alone estimated to be valued up £5b, it could be an unprecedented platform for brand exposure. That's why London 2012 organizers are seeking sponsors to sign on the dotted line and place their names on the new Olympic Stadium, aquatics center, and velodrome. The stadium alone should raise £6m ($8m) annually, the Mail reports.

The West Ham United club of the English Premier League are looking to move into the stadium after the Olympics end, the Mail notes, which would make it part of the growing numbers of teams that play in a branded stadium.

There has been a recent rash of Premier League stadia being sponsored by airlines. Newcastle United recently (and controversially) renamed its stadium SportDirect Arena, though it will go under its old name, St. James Park, during the Olympics.

The Mail notes that the Chelsea Football Club, long a powerhouse in the Premier League, has “spent the last year searching for a stadium title sponsor without success,” but “is hopeful of completing a deal in the new year.” Meanwhile, Queens Park Rangers and Tottenham Hotspur are also in the hunt if they can raise the cash to build new stadia, the paper notes. 

So if you want your name on a stadium in Britain, this may be your time. The market appears to be glutted.

If you’ve got big bucks, you might as well go for the biggest stadium jewel in Britain: Wembley Stadium is also looking for “an associate sponsor,” the Mail notes, although “the Wembley name will be protected.” According to the paper, “betting companies and mobile phone network suppliers are being considered.”

As for the London Olympics stadium's prospects after the 2012 Games are over? London organizers have no doubt pondered the home of the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. The city turned the velodrome into the very cool BioDome, featuring four different ecosystems for visitors and researchers.

Source: Brandchannel
Tags: VENUES | INFRASTRUCTURE

The mid-rise apartment blocks will house 17,000 athletes and officials at next year’s Games before being converted into East Village – a residential scheme for 6,000 new residents.

During a Metro tour of the Stratford site, 3,000 builders were still putting the finishing touches to flats that will sleep up to eight athletes.

With the event just around the corner, current levels of security are high – with checkpoints, electric fences and concrete blocks surrounding access roads for the adjacent Stratford City shopping mall.

But the area is set to be transformed by 2013 when residents start to move in to create a new community from scratch.

Almost half – 1,379 – of the homes will be affordable, offering a mixture of flats and townhouses at subsidised rents and for shared ownership.

The scheme should help tackle London’s shortage of high-quality privately rented homes at a time when spiralling deposits are denying first-time buyers a home.

This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.

Rental contracts would run for years instead of months to encourage residents to put down roots, said Stuart Corbyn, chairman of the Qatari-backed developer QDD.

And families will be encouraged by the new 1,800-pupil Chobham Academy and the news that half the flats will have two bedrooms, he said.

The overall scheme consists of ten courtyard developments as well as a dramatic triangular block in an effort to mirror traditional London garden squares.

Some ground-floor space will be designated for stores, bars and restaurants – a vision that never materialised at other blocks lining nearby Stratford High Street.

‘That area is now slightly depressing and we will be working hard to avoid that,’ Mr Corbyn said. ‘It’s an incredibly important part of how people living here will perceive the area.’

Source: Metro
Tags: ACCOMMODATION | INFRASTRUCTURE