ODA negotiates with Team McAlpine on Olympic Stadium

[richard]

Media Release 13/10/2006

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) today announced that it is to enter negotiations with the Team McAlpine Consortium, the team that built the new Arsenal Stadium, with a view to appointing them in the New Year to design and construct the Stadium for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

The consortium is led by building contractors Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd and also includes renowned sports and design architecture team HOK Sport, and international engineering teams Buro Happold and M-E Engineering Inc.

The ODA received a number of national and international applications to prequalify. However, in compliance with the Public Contracts Regulations, the ODA is starting negotiations with Team McAlpine as their submission was the only one that met all the ODA's prequalification criteria.

The brief for the Stadium is to create a spectacular 80,000 seat Stadium to host track and field events and the opening and closing ceremonies for the Games. After the Games it will reduce in size but retain the capacity to host a variety of sporting, cultural and community events.

In parallel with commercial negotiations, design proposals for the Stadium will be developed by Team McAlpine and will be unveiled in the New Year.

David Higgins, chief executive of the Olympic Delivery Authority, said: 'We are entering negotiations with a world class consortium in Team McAlpine and I am confident they will conclude successfully in the New Year. The Olympic Stadium will be the centerpiece of the Olympic Park and we will deliver an outstanding venue for the Games with a post-Games legacy of which the UK can be truly proud.

'As you would expect, we have robust contingency plans in place should negotiations with Team McAlpine not conclude.

'We will also be putting in place appropriate cost controls to ensure that budgets are managed properly and that value for money is achieved.'

Notes to Editors

1. The Olympic Delivery Authority is a statutory corporation set up under the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act 2006. It has been set up to deliver the permanent new venues and infrastructure required for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

2. The Team McAlpine Consortium consists of:

* Construction Contractor - Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd
* Architect - HOK Sport Ltd
* Sports Venue Designer - HOK Sport Ltd
* Structural Engineer - Buro Happold Ltd
* Services Engineer - M-E Engineering Inc

Projects they have worked on include:

* The new 60,000 seat Arsenal Stadium (Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd, HOK Sport, Buro Happold).
* Telstra Stadium, formerly Stadium Australia (HOK Sport) the main Stadium for the Sydney Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in 2000. The Stadium held 110,000 spectators during the Games and was reconfigured to 80,000 seats after the Games.
* ExCeL Exhibition Centre (Sir Robert McAlpine, Buro Happold). A 65,000m 2 exhibition space in London Docklands that will be used as a venue for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
* The Eden Project (Sir Robert McAlpine, Buro Happold). Award-winning sustainable and innovative visitor attraction in Cornwall.

Media Enquiries

Contact the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office on 020 3 2012 700


Source
london2012.com