Modern stadium will have unobstructed sight lines.

(Photo courtesy of London 2012)

Four trans-Atlantic teams were shortlisted on May 18 as candidates to act, till 2013, as Delivery Partner with the U.K. organizer of London's 2012 Olympic Games. Infrastructure and venue construction is valued at more than $4 billion. The successful bidder will support the government-appointed Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) to manage the development and construction of the Olympic Park, and oversee conversion of its facilities to permanent uses after the Games. ODA plans soon to start transparent "competitive dialogue" with the shortlisted groups to develop detailed terms of the management contract for which they will all bid. Developed by the European Union for complicated jobs, this will be the U.K.'s first application of the procurement process. On the shortlist are:

Bechtel Group Inc., San Francisco, alone;

CLM (CH2M Hill Cos. Denver, with U.K. contractor Laing O'Rourke Ltd.

and construction manager Mace Ltd.);

G3 (AMEC plc and Balfour Beatty plc, both U.K.-based, with Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., Pasadena, Calif.)

Legacy (Bovis Lend Lease, U.K., and Kellogg, Brown & Root, Houston, along with British Capita Symonds, a design firm, and cost consultant Franklin & Andrews).