With construction for London’s 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games approaching 90% completion, Brazil is taking the construction baton. Officials there have begun procuring a master planner for the next games, set for Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
London’s Olympic Development Authority, responsible for games-related construction, this month completed the handball arena. ODA had already handed over the main stadium and velodrome, also sited in East London’s Olympic Park.ODA Chief Executive Dennis Hone said that 83% of work at the 200-hectare park had been completed by the end of March, 16 months ahead of the July 27, 2012, opening ceremony. The UK Dept. of Culture Media and Sport now forecasts a final construction cost of venues and infrastructure of approximately $12 billion, fractionally below budget.