West Ham make new bid for Olympic Stadium

English Championship club West Ham revealed on Friday that they have submitted a new bid to become tenants of London's Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games.

The Hammers last year won the right to takeover the Stratford-based stadium, but that deal collapsed in October following complaints from Tottenham, who mounted a failed bid, local League One team Leyton Orient, and another anonymous party.

Tottenham and Orient made legal challenges over the decision to award the stadium to West Ham and the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) decided to start the process over again by offering the 80,000-capacity arena on a lease basis, rather than a permanent one.

West Ham met Friday's deadline to apply for a 99-year lease of the stadium, which is reported to have cost £486 million ($770 million) to build, and Hammers vice-chairwoman Karren Brady hopes the renewed bid will prove successful.

"Having spent the last two years dedicated to this project I am privileged to once more be submitting West Ham United's bid to become the anchor concessionaire of the Olympic Stadium post the 2012 Games," she said.

"From the outset it has been my firm, unwavering belief that the stadium can truly become a multi-use destination of which east London and the nation as a whole can be proud.

"I have never lost sight of our vision to play our part, along with the stadium's major stakeholders, in ensuring it grows into a global asset, the 'jewel in the crown' of the (Olympic) Park that will be watched by the world.

"Our vision for the stadium has always been about standing up for the promises made for London back in Singapore in 2005 and what they meant for our future generations.

"We are honoured to have once more received the support and backing of our friends at UK Athletics."

A fund of £35 million has been set aside from public money to convert the stadium to a 60,000-seater venue after the Games, making it attractive to West Ham, who have been looking to leave their current home at 35,000-capacity Upton Park for several years.

An OPLC spokesman confirmed later on Friday that a total of four bids have been received from groups wanting to become Olympic Stadium tenants.

"We have received four bids from parties interested in using the stadium after the Games," he said without naming the other interested companies.

"The Legacy Company will shortly start its evaluation process, with the aim of announcing which concessionaires will occupy the stadium alongside athletics before the Games.

"The stadium will become the new national centre for athletics and host of the 2017 World Athletics Championships and we remain on course to reopen the stadium as a multi-purpose venue in 2014."