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American regeneration expert is named to build Olympics legacy
Matthew Beard, Sports News Correspondent27.05.09
The deputy mayor of Philadelphia was today named as the £200,000-a-year chief of the company chosen to deliver a legacy for the Olympic Park.
Urban development expert Andrew Altman will be responsible for attracting private investment in the 600-hectare park near Stratford to ensure it does not become a burden to the taxpayer after the 2012 Games.
As head of the “2012 legacy delivery company” established by London Mayor Boris Johnson, Mr Altman must find long-term tenants for the sports venues and developers to deliver thousand houses at the site.
He was recommended by Richard Rogers, the Mayor's architecture adviser. His appointment comes five months after he was named as a deputy mayor for planning and economic development in his home town of Philadelphia.
Mr Altman led the private sector regeneration of a swathe of waterfront in Washington DC, similar to the Olympic Park in that it had been dominated by industrial sites and had a history of deprivation.
His CV also includes public sector experience with senior planning roles in Washington, Los Angeles and Oakland.
Mr Johnson said: “Transforming this area into a thriving new district of London is one of the biggest regeneration projects in Europe. Andrew Altman is a big-hitter with his impressive record in leading and delivering huge development and regeneration projects in some of the largest cities of the US.”
Reader views (7)
I found it odd that all of the British papers reported that the Washington waterfront had been revitalized. In fact, the quasi-governmental agency that Mr. Altman briefly headed was scarcely in business long enough to accomplish much of anything; the duties were reassumed by the Deputy Mayor's office. The waterfront appears much as it did a decade ago, except for redevelopment around the edges during the real estate boom.
- Severus, Washington, DC
Andrew Altman was a HUGE disappointment to Philadelphians. He's a spineless, gutless pawn who led a process that approved a horrendous project (basically a surface parking lot for along our waterfront that flies against every rational planning principle. He is now leaving us with a bloody mess.
Brits beware!
- Northern Libertine, Philadelphia, PA USA
Andy Altman created approved a horrendous and very controversial waterfront casino project that flies in the face of every good planning principle. He created a mess in Philadelphia and is leaving us to clean it up.
Beware London!
- Nolibs, Philadelphia, PA
Good to see that the Olympic committee is planning to waste even more Taxpayer cash after the 'Games'.
There's still time to stop this expensive mistake.
Time also to fix the 'Games' in Greece for ever, with only those interested in them, called to finance them.
- Cap, London
Why do we continue to employ mediocre candidates from the US? There are hundreds of highly-qualified people right here in the UK who are capable of handling this job.
- William, London, UK
The people of the City of Philadelphia are cheering to see Altman leave town! He was the most political Planning Director we have had in a long time. He is a top-down sort of planner and he is not very open to public input. Don't be fooled by the public relations.
- Sam Bellevue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Downtown Philly is a dirty, smelly, trash and vagrant filled cesspool. Good luck.
- Trunk, US
