U.K. construction company Balfour Beatty has landed a £154M ($252M) deal to convert London's 2012 Olympic Stadium into the home of EPL West Ham, according to Russell Lynch of the London EVENING STANDARD. Included in the new contract is the £41M deal which Balfour Beatty won last summer to "alter the roof of the stadium." The construction "will recycle elements of the original stadium" such as balustrades and toilets in the shaping of the new venue, which will also host five matches in next year’s Rugby World Cup. The new 54,000 capacity stadium -- which West Ham will move into in '16 -- "will also boast the largest cantilevered roof in the world, covering every seat" (EVENING STANDARD, 1/6). In London, Owen Gibson reported the news that Balfour Beatty has won the contract has resulted in the cost of the Olympic Stadium rising to more than £580M ($951M), "most of it met by taxpayers."
MORE FOR BALFOUR: In London, Andy Sharman reported the award "continues Balfour’s work on infrastructure" related to the 2012 London Games. It has "undertaken a number of projects" at the Olympic Park, including the redevelopment of the Zaha Hadid-designed Aquatics Centre, which "features moveable floors and walls and is set to open to the public in the spring." Balfour "expects work to begin in the coming weeks" and to finish in spring '16, after which West Ham "will make the stadium its permanent home" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 1/6). In London, Lynch also reported Balfour Beatty, which beat the original builder of the stadium, Robert McAlpine, for the conversion job, "will employ up to 400 people on the project, taking on about 30 apprentices." The work is being carried out for E20 Stadium, the joint venture between the London Legacy Development Corp. and Newham Council "which will manage the stadium" (EVENING STANDARD, 1/6). In Darlington, Steven Hugill reported it will "also be a new national competition stadium for UK athletics," hosting regional and national age group championships, as well as elite int'l events, such as the 2017 IAAF World Championships (NORTHERN ECHO, 1/6).
