With final negotiations over the future of the Olympic Stadium entering a crucial stage, EPL West Ham United Vice Chair Karren Brady "has insisted that the club's proposal will deliver a lasting legacy," according to Owen Gibson of the London GUARDIAN. London Mayor Boris Johnson this week took "personal control" of the London Legacy Development Corp. Johnson's "most pressing tasks will be to try to strike a deal with West Ham amid protracted negotiations" over the terms of any tenancy deal. Already, £95M ($153M) in public money has been pledged to convert the stadium into "a permanent venue with a full roof and hospitality facilities." West Ham is also "believed to want the LLDC to contribute towards retractable seating and other costs." Brady will make the argument that by handing the main tenancy to a Premier League football club, "it will bring benefits to the Olympic Park and wider area" beyond its rental contribution, including "enhancing the value of naming rights and helping make it a popular destination." Johnson is "keen to conclude a deal," and hopes to avoid a delay in re-opening the park from July onward (GUARDIAN, 9/13).
