30 Nov 2009
Hackney and Tower Hamlets residents were the first non-construction workers to get a look inside the huge London 2012 International Broadcast Centre (IBC) and two young Leabank Square residents turned on the site’s Christmas lights.
In legacy the facilities will create just under 900,000 square feet of sustainable business space with the potential to generate thousands of new jobs.
Residents went on bus tours of the Olympic Park and were able to discuss the work on the Park with contractors. Two young Leabank Square residents also turned on Christmas lights decorating a row of trees which the contractor building IBC/MPC planted a alongside the river earlier this year.
The structure of the IBC is complete and the MPC, which will become sustainable office space with a 2500 square metre brown roof for wildlife in legacy, is starting to come out of the ground.
ODA Chief Executive David Higgins said: 'It’s great that Hackney residents stole a march on the world’s media to get the first look inside the IBC. They have seen first hand where in 2012 thousands of media will broadcast the story of the London Games to billions of people. They have also had the opportunity to see how the building has been designed to be as flexible as possible to accommodate a range of potential legacy tenants and uses.
'The Olympic Park is the largest regeneration project in Europe and we work hard to be a good neighbour by minimising the impact of construction and involving local people in every stage of the project.'
Notes to Editors
1. Images from the IBC/MPC open day and Christmas lights switching-on can be downloaded at:
http://mm.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/locog?nav=pr131375805 - Ends -
For further information please contact the Olympic Delivery Authority Press Office on +44 (0)203 2012 700.
The construction of the venues and infrastructure of the London 2012 Games is funded by the National Lottery through the Olympic Lottery Distributor, The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Mayor of London and the London Development Agency.
Find out the latest from London 2012 HQ on our
blog.
