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2012 legacy to be a Sainsbury's depot?
Amar Singh, Evening Standard12 Oct 2007
The media complex for the 2012 Olympics is at the centre of a row over conflicting legacy plans.
Hackney council wants the futuristic building to become a "digital city" and home to several leading companies after the Games.
But the council claims the Olympic Delivery Authority is considering plans for it to become a distribution depot and has approached Sainsbury's.
According to sources, a "plan B" to relocate Billingsgate Fish Market into the centre at Hackney Wick has also been mooted. Council chiefs, furious over the alleged plan, are desperate to prevent the high-tech facility from turning into a "brownfield" factory area.
Hackney mayor Jules Pipe said: "To allow this amazing facility to be turned into warehousing, providing few jobs and blighting the area, would be a travesty not a legacy."
The futuristic building - divided into the International Broadcast Centre and the Main Press Centre - will have over 1.3 million square feet of office space accommodating more than 20,000 journalists during the Games.
Council officials are working at luring big businesses and are hoping one flagship tenant would pave the way for others to follow. They are also keen to attract Soho's cluster of media production houses, where companies have to pay substantial overheads for office space.
Hackney Wick and surrounding areas such as Stoke Newington and Bethnal Green are also home to a growing number of media professionals and they are hoping this will help attract tenants.
The huge centre is the biggest for a sporting event and will be within walking distance of Hackney Wick station,five miles from City airport and in the heart of the Olympic village.
Four teams led by Babcock & Brown/Balfour Beatty, Bouygues, Carillion and Norwest Holst are bidding to build it. Mr Pipe added: "We want high quality employment in media, creative and technology sectors; a media hub for east London, which will have a transformative effect on the area. The centre will have fantastic transport links and state-of-the art technology. It represents a unique opportunity for both Hackney and the media industry."
The ODA started advertising in March for potential legacy users. An ODA spokesman said: "We are looking to establish the legacy use of the IBC/MPC alongside appointing a developer. Our procurement process is designed to ensure the best media facility for the Games and maximise the legacy benefits."
The ODA today hit back saying it had not approached Sainsbury's. A spokesperson said: “There have been no talks between the ODA and Sainsbury.”
Meanwhile, Olympics chiefs have pledged that local people will not be excluded from the benefits.
At a public meeting in Stratford last residents were assured that jobs, contracts and reasonably priced tickets would be available. The panel was asked about issues ranging from the replacement of the Eastway Cycle Circuit to how best to deal with feral cats on the site.
