LONDON: English Premier League club West Ham United were yesterday named ‘first bidder’ for the right to move into London’s Olympic Stadium by the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC).
It is a major step for West Ham, who are competing with third-tier football club Leyton Orient, a football business college and a Formula One racing group to become permanent tenants of the east London arena.
The LLDC board voted unanimously to make West Ham their first choice to occupy the arena.
West Ham’s preferred bidder status does not involve the signing of any contracts but it puts the club in pole position to secure the 99-year lease on the stadium.
The Olympic Stadium, which cost £486m ($782.7m, 598.7m euros) to construct, has been vacant since the end of the Paralympics in September.
Before West Ham United could move in, the stadium would have to be converted into a football ground with retractable or moveable seating over the running track.
As part of a pre-existing legacy agreement, the stadium must continue to be used as an athletics venue.
Any future tenants would therefore have to share the ground with UK Athletics, while the 2017 World Athletics Championships are scheduled to take place at the stadium. REUTERS
