Olympic venues legacy assured
Construction work on the Olympic Park has been completed, just as a deal to secure the Games' venues' legacy is reached.
The last to be finished, the Park and eight other key competition venues have been handed over to organisers, LOCOG for testing and fitting out, 200 days prior to the Games' opening ceremony..
With a list of tasks that seems exhaustive, it is likely there will still be many construction jobs up for grabs. In total, 273 temporary buildings need to be built, plus equipment rooms, cleaning compounds and seven canteens.
LOCOG will also start installing scoring and timing technology, plus source innumerate pieces of sporting paraphernalia. It falls to them, Construction Enquirer writes, to "install the look and feel" of the Games, which will no doubt be helped by the construction of a huge London 2012 mega store.
Additionally, hundreds of jobs have been secured following the Games, after Balfour Beatty and Greenwich Leisure Limited signed a deal to take on the running of the main venues and facilities, part of the Olympic Park Legacy.
The deal will see both companies create apprenticeship opportunities and around 254 permanent jobs, plaid at the London Living Wage, Fresh Business Thinking confirms. They have also pledged to use local small and medium-sized businesses to supply goods and services.
Enthusing about the achievement, Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: "This is a ringing endorsement of our 2012 legacy and the regeneration plans for east London and an amazing achievement by the Legacy Company.
"To find operators to take over these world class facilities so far ahead of the Games and to secure their commitment to spread jobs and opportunities throughout the local communities is the icing on the 2012 cake."