The Telegraph reports that organizers for the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games are thinking about handing down portions of its arena to the host city of the 2016 Summer Games.
Senior organizers from London 2012 are reportedly in talks with their counterparts in Chicago, one of seven cities bidding for the 2016 Games. According to the Telegraph if the talks and Chicago’s bid are successful, 55,000 of the London arena’s 80,000 seats would be transported to Chicago to boost the capacity of its 7,500-seat stadium in Washington Park.
London and Chicago are planning to build main stadiums with a small amount of permanent seats and bolt extra seats on during the Games.
The sharing of equipment between host countries could allow for a reduction of the economic burden often associated with the Games.
David Higgins, chief executive of London’s Olympic Delivery Authority, told the Guardian newspaper that he began talking to Chicago officials last week and would be open to similar talks with other aspiring hosts.
A spokesman for the ODA said anything that would help to reduce the cost of the Games, something that Boris Johnson, the new mayor of London, has promised, would be considered.
The spokesman said, “it is right that we should explore any opportunities that would recoup some of the cost incurred by the lottery and the public purse”.
