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Among the bidders include a consortium comprising Arup with Arup Associates, Bligh Voller Nield, Foster and Partners and Patel Taylor.
“This is a highly exciting project for London with far reaching benefits for 2012 and beyond, said Tristram Carfrae, Arup principal in Sydney.
“Whatever the outcome of the bid, the ultimate challenge is to create a viable, aspirational, strategic urban master plan that delivers regeneration year on year, to ensure a sustainable future for the Lower Lea Valley.”
Principal of Bligh Voller Nield, Lawrence Nield said the project would capitalise on its experience master planning both the Sydney Olympic site and Athens Olympic Park.
“The project is to develop a master plan with the Olympics for the depressed Lea Valley in the east of London, and to compare that to a regeneration master plan without the Olympics."
The next stage is to work on a more detailed brief being sent by the LDA to the short-listed candidates this week. The successful consortium will be chosen in late July.
Master planning work will begin in August and will be finished in time to complete the IOC questionnaire in January 2004.
Meanwhile Jacques Rogge, president of the IOC, will speak in Paris today at an event called Olympic Theatre, designed by TV channel Eurosport. He will be joined by Jean Dussourd, president of the Paris 2003 St Denis organising committee, and Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, president of the Athens 2004 organising committee.
The event will focus on the Paris bid for the 2012 Games and is likely to reinforce its position as favourite to host the event.
Speaking yesterday Rogge said: “France is a great country, politically very stable with a strong economy. It’s a democratic country with wide experience of international events, with good athletes, outstanding sports administrators and an Olympic champion (fencer Jean-Francois Lamour) for a sports minister.”