The 80,000-capacity venue will be cut by 20,000 after the Olympics, but the
running track will be retained, as the stadium is set to host the 2017 World
Athletics Championships.
London Mayor Boris Johnson added: “London couldn’t be in a better position to
stage the best Games ever with everything ready to go and our legacy plans
in great shape.”
In terms of the proposals ITS’s would like to use the Olympic Stadium to host
the British round of the Formula One world championship, and the plans are
understood to map out a track in and around the venue in east London.
West Ham had made an offer to lease the £486 million venue last year, but the
deal failed thanks to legal issues, opening the door for this proposal, and
the other two on the shortlist.
Orient’s suggestion with what to do with the venue is believed to centre on
ground sharing with the Hammers, although the Premier League club have gone
on record to state that they would disregard such a possibility.
Speaking to BBC Sport the chairman of the League One club, Barry Hearn,
shied away from answering a direct question about the partnership with West
Ham but said he was confident in Orient’s bid.
“We have to make a fist of it and we have to make sure the Government
and the people of this country get maximum value for the investment that has
gone into the Olympic Stadium,” he
was quoted as saying.
“Our idea does that and I think it forms part of a legacy that people in
this country can be proud of. Bearing in mind this is the only time in our
lifetime that we are ever going to hold the Olympic Games, we need to get
something out of it.
“A mixture of usages and a mixture of opportunity within the Olympic
Stadium will give us the feeling that we have spent our money wisely and
that is really what we are trying to achieve.
“All sides have to exercise common sense and move forward. I think we have
created a very interesting scheme that can do just that.”