By Duncan Mackay

London 2012 International Broadcast Centre from airJanuary 19 - A fashion hub, a leisure village or an innovation and research centre are the three plans shortlisted for the Main Press Centre (MPC) and International Broadcast Centre (IBC) after London 2012, it has been announced.


These are the ideas behind the trio of bids - from UK Fashion Hub, Oxylane Group and iCITY - who want to make the venue their long-term home after the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

The Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) will now enter into detailed negotiations with the would-be tenants.

The OPLC aims to appoint the tenant this summer with the buildings available for fit out and opening from spring 2013.

"The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is already generating a huge amount of commercial interest and the calibre of our shortlist is testament to that," said Altman.

"We have three dynamic bids focused on the creation of thousands of jobs and training opportunities, along with links to Tech City.

"We will now go through their proposals in fine detail to make sure that they can deliver a successful ongoing legacy that will stimulate future commercial interest.

"Today's milestone is yet another example of how London is further ahead in legacy planning than any previous host Olympic city."

UK Fashion Hub idea post London 2012
UK Fashion Hub (pictured above) plan a dedicated centre for the fashion and textile manufacturing sectors, creating a destination for wholesalers, buyers and the creative industries.

Headed by Resolution and anchored by Brandboxx and Workspace Group, the bid involves the IBC becoming a fashion centre with offices, an incubator, manufacturing and creative uses.

The MPC would become a fashion college, a fashion e-tailing centre and a media centre.

Retail centre MPC and IBC post London 2012
Oxylane Group (pictured above ) is a sports orientated mixed-use offer in partnership with Loughborough University
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The IBC would become Oxylane Village offering leisure, events space, research and education, and retail including a major Decathlon store.

The MPC would be used as office space and a technology centre.

ICity innovation Park MPC and IBC post Londo 2012
iCITY - Innovation City (pictured above) - is anchored by Infinity with the MBC  being used for a computing centre, research labs, post production, graphic designer and digital education.

The MPC would become an innovation and research centre with links to higher education to try and showcase British technology. 

In October, the OPLC invited interested parties to bid to take up at least one floor in either of the buildings.

Ten bids were returned by the December 2 deadline, with eight of them proposing the whole take up both buildings on long leases.

They covered a range of different uses including technology, digital, creative, media, sport, office, leisure and retail uses. 

"Having already secured operators for six out of eight of the Olympic Park venues we are close to securing the huge 2012 legacy prize of long term jobs and growth," said Boris Johnson, the London Mayor.

"I am delighted that we are now talking to potential tenants at this point of London's 2012 story.

"It means we can now look forward to the Summer Games with confidence that our Park is on course to become that thriving, vibrant and prosperous new district we have all been striving for."

The IBC offers 95,000 sq ft of office space over five floors and 575,000 sq ft of commercial space over two floors. It has the flexibility to be reconfigured into four separate buildings.

The five storey MPC will provide around 317,000 sq ft of prime office space with the potential for retail uses on the ground floor. 

"I am very pleased that the level of interest shown in the tenancy of the Press and Broadcast Centres has enabled OPLC to draw up a strong shortlist," said Jules Piper, the Mayor of Hackney.

"Hackney Council looks forward to working closely with the OPLC and the three shortlisted bidders to establish which bid best aligns with the Council's long-held aspirations for this location.

"The tenancy of these buildings represents the greatest chance for a sustainable employment legacy from the Games, and we want to make sure that the successful bidder fulfils that promise by providing a full range of high quality jobs, from entry level to highly-skilled specialist roles." 

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Related stories
December 2011: Ten companies bid to take over MPC and IBC after London 2012 Games
October 2011: MPC and IBC must have a skilled jobs legacy warns senior London Assembly member
October 2011: Bids invited for Main Press Centre and International Broadcast Centre
July 2011: International Broadcast Centre completed for London 2012
September 2010: Olympic Park Legacy Company start process to find media centre tenant