Facility Notes

In London, Paul Kelso reports EPL clubs West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur have been “set a new deadline for their Olympic Stadium bids, with the Olympic Park Legacy Company asking for clarification of their offers by Feb. 3.” The OPLC on Monday announced that it was “delaying selection of a preferred bidder to get more information from the two clubs.” Both clubs are “understood to have been asked to clarify the financial agreements and guarantees that underpin their offers” (London TELEGRAPH, 1/26). Meanwhile, also in London, Graham Ruddick reports the OPLC is “inviting formal expressions of interest in taking control" of the Aquatics Centre and the Multi-Use Arena, which "holds 7,500 spectators and will be used for handball" during the ’12 London Games. It is “envisaged that the Multi-Use Arena and Zaha Hadid-designed Aquatics Centre, which includes two 50m pools and a diving pool, will be used for community and elite sporting use” (London TELEGRAPH, 1/26).

HOLD THE PHONE: In Houston, Jose De Jesus Ortiz reports the MLS Dynamo “postponed the groundbreaking ceremonies that were scheduled for Saturday afternoon at their new stadium's site” because the Houston City Council has “not yet voted on the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone that is part of the inter-local agreement between the county and city.” Dynamo President Chris Canetti said, "We'll set another date in the next few days. This does not have any impact on our construction timeline and planned opening of April 2012." City officials said that although there is “still work to be done by City Council, the Dynamo were given a green light by city leaders to proceed with their plans if they wanted to hold the two-hour groundbreaking celebration Saturday.” But the team “opted to pass on this weekend” (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 1/26).

LEAVING THE TARP ON: In Tacoma, Don Ruiz noted for the “second straight off-season Sounders FC has weighted the pros and cons of opening" the north end Hawks Nest at Qwest Field for seating, and for the "second straight season they have decided against it.” Season ticket projections show the MLS club “roughly on par with last season, and the organization doesn’t want to increase capacity until demand for the new tickets is overwhelming.” The Hawks Nest is “currently valuable advertising space for jersey sponsor Xbox, so the Sounders will not toy with that casually” (THENEWSTRIBUNE.com, 1/24).