The UK’s biggest privately owned builder is close to landing a £150 million deal to convert the former Olympic Press and Broadcast Centre into a new east London hub for creative and digital businesses, it emerged today.
Laing O’Rourke – a member of the original delivery team for the park – will carry out the work for iCity, a joint venture between property-specialist Delancey and data-centre company Infinity SDC, sources told the Construction Enquirer website.
Laing is understood to have edged out Carillion, the builder of the centre which hosted more than 20,000 journalists to cover the Olympics and Paralympics.
It is hoped the development – since rebranded Here East and less than 10 minutes’ walk from Hackney Wick station – will create around 7500 jobs on site and in the local community. It will include a 300,000 sq ft innovation centre, a 1000-seat auditorium, and a third 850,000 building including broadcast studios, office space, and a data centre. BT is already broadcasting its new sports channels from the Olympic park after moving in last year.
Fellow builder Balfour Beatty is currently converting the main Olympic Stadium, which Premier League football club West Ham will move into in 2016.
