Pontiac Summit

Posts Tagged ‘London Olympics Nix’

London Olympic organizers will avoid building a $66 million temporary arena after reaching an “agreement in principle” with two sports to move to an existing venue for the 2012 Games. Local organizing committee LOCOG proposed switching badminton and rhythmic gymnastics to Wembley Arena — adjacent to Wembley Stadium in northwest London — rather than construct the planned facility near the Olympic Village in east London. The move was taken to save money in the wake of the global economic crisis. Denis Oswald, head of the International Olympic Committee’s coordination commission for the London Games, said Thursday that the badminton and gymnastics federations had agreed in principle to the move despite their concerns over the added travel time for their athletes…

…They collectively cost more than $370 million to build, need millions of dollars a year to operate, and won’t hit their stride as community attractions until after the 2010 Olympics. But venue officials say the Whistler Sliding Centre, Richmond Olympic Oval, and Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre have already injected millions into their local economies. Sliding Centre General Manager Craig Lehto said that at least $1.3 million was pumped into the economy when international teams trained at the centre over 22 days in October and November. The $61,000-a-day estimate includes money spent on food and lodging and does not include car rentals and other discretionary spending…

…These can’t be the rosiest of times for Oakland A’s co-owner Lew Wolff. His battle to find a new home for his baseball team continues, with no obvious end in sight. Discontent grows among the A’s fan base, with the perception being that the organization can’t wait to bolt Oakland for greener pastures. And the A’s are trying to snap a string of three losing seasons in an American League West division that is getting stronger across the board. But Wolff, 73, is optimistic that the team is pointed in the right direction. That was abundantly clear during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon with the Bay Area News Group…

…For the first time, the Minnesota Vikings say they would support a new stadium — one with a roof. Those comments come as a surprise to people who’ve been working on stadium plans. Supporters say the most valuable thing about the Metrodome may be the dome itself. Until now, the facility has been financially self-sufficient because it houses year-round activities besides NFL football. But the Vikings are sharpening their stadium pitch. They want a new stadium on the site of the Metrodome. The team opposes retrofitting or renovating…

…The Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan could become home to other sports events besides soccer, the likely new owner says. Andreas Apostolopoulos, owner of Toronto-based Triple Properties Inc., hopes to make an announcement in January about which teams will use the facility, the Detroit Free Press reports. “I like sports, and I like being involved with sports, so I hope to bring sporting events people will like,” he said Wednesday. “I’m not just thinking soccer but football or baseball or whatever.” The 80,311-seat arena is now owned by the city of Pontiac. Officials say it costs the city $1.5 million a year to run…

…Youth sports activities are expected to take a hit after the Arizona sports authority announced a funding scale-back. Besides youth leagues, the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority is holding back funds for renovating spring-training facilities in Scottsdale and Tempe. The sports authority said it will make a $16 million debt payment on its largest obligation, University of Phoenix Stadium. The cutbacks to youth sports and spring training are a result of fewer dollars’ being collected in Maricopa County hotel-room and car-rental taxes.