Tuesday, 22 May 2012

Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) for the 2012 London Olympic Games Fiasco


As you well know the Olympic Park Legacy Company is putting things together for the 2012 Olympic Games in historic London England in what could very well be one of the greatest Olympic Games of the last 75-years. And that is really significant considering that some of the world's greatest cities have hosted the games during those times.

So, I asked the famous Josh Aggars of London, a blogger with a reputation for some serious no-holds-bar sound and fury, what it all meant, and what was really happening there, figuring he definitely ought to know. He said in an exclusive interview with me;

"The 28th of January 2011 was supposed to be the date on which the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) for the 2012 London Olympic Games would name the winning tenant to take over the still to be finished Olympic Stadium once the games were over. Instead the decision has been postponed indefinitely as the OPLC seek further clarification from the main bidders on the minutiae of their tender documents. At stake the reputation and economic viability of a true legacy for the London Olympics."

Interesting indeed, and yes, I thought Aggars would be the man to address the concerns. After all, I don't get a sense from the Financial Times just what is really going on behind the scenes. Still, I guess I am not too surprised as often government/private partnerships fail as too many bureaucrats force unreasonable restrictions and non-economically viable mandates on businesses, contractors, and the private sector.

He also noted that when London won the rights to host the 2012 Olympic games they promised the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that they would make the Committee and the World for that matter proud, which Josh now equates to nothing more than "lofty rhetoric" and that such promises appear to have been too presumptuous.

Yes, I am not surprised and would even call it typical. Unfortunately, Josh explains now the estimated costs have almost tripled from $4.9 Billion to $13.5 Billion and who knows where it will stop. All at a time when the nation is calling for austerity measures from pensioners and government spending, even cutting back on their military. In fact, the there was an announcement to share an aircraft carrier with France!

From a realist standpoint, all I can say from observation and hindsight in my own business dealings is that ALL business plans must double or triple their costs, and at least double their time frame to be even remotely legitimate. Anyone with any experience knows this. Now then, do I share Aggars ire? Well, I share the hard choices that Londoners are making and all of England for that matter.

But I am glad to say that Josh Aggars is on the scene holding everyone's feet to the fire. Yes, the infamous, controversial blogger that he is, and I wouldn't expect anything else, so please consider all this.




Lance Winslow is the Founder of the Online Think Tank http://www.worldthinktank.net and if you want to read the most controversial blog in London, you are in luck as this article was sponsored by http://www.flipflopscity.com/blog/





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