Legacy company shortlists three consortiums to take over mammoth Olympic media complex post-Games

The Olympic Park Legacy Company has shortlisted three bidders to run and refit the mammoth press and broadcast centres after the London 2012 Games.

The OPLC said the three bidders had been placed on a shortlist to pick up the contracts to run and refit the main press centre (MPC) and the international broadcast centre (IBC) after this summer’s Games.

The shortlisted consortiums are: UK Fashion Hub; Oxylane Group; and iCity - with a selection due to be made this summer before the Games.

Plans from the three envisage the complex becoming, respectively, a hub for the fashion industry, a sports-orientated commercial and education centre, and a hi-tech “innovation” hub. All of the proposals will require significant re-fit work, particularly of the monolithic broadcast centre.

The huge IBC contains 95,000ft2 of office space over five floors and 575,000ft2 of commercial space over two floors, while the five storey MPC contains 317,000ft2 of office space.

The OPLC said the three will now enter into detailed negotiations with the legacy company based on their initial bids.

Andrew Altman, OPLC chief executive said: “We have three dynamic bids focused on the creation of thousands of jobs and training opportunities, along with links to Tech City.

“We will now go through their proposals in fine detail to make sure that they can deliver a successful ongoing legacy that will stimulate future commercial interest. Today’s milestone is yet another example of how London is further ahead in legacy planning than any previous host Olympic city.”