The Guardian reports that a new design for the “controversial” aquatics centre for the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games will be rubber-stamped Thursday. The original design was sent back to the drawing board by Olympics minister Tessa Jowell last December after it was reportedly two times over budget.
Under the original plans there was to be a 20,000-seat arena with two 50-metre swimming pools and a diving pool, but according to David Higgins, the chief executive of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) – the body responsible for building the Games facilities, the plans have not changed significantly and “I actually think it is better”, he said. “It’s better functioning in terms of the swimming and how it works legacy –wise.
The proposal was to be presented to the ODA board meeting today and the revised plans are to be published publicly in September after all the stakeholders have seen them, although the costs, likely to exceed 100 million pounds, will not be officially announced reports the newspaper.
The centre was to be completed in 2008 but it has been delayed until 2011.
