Venue News: London’s Olympic Stadium Is Complete

Construction work on London’s Olympic Stadium has finished. International inspectors laid the last piece of turf on the field of the stadium, just under three years after building work began. Inspectors will now begin a checkup of preparations for the London 2012 Games. But London 2012 Chairman Lord Coe said: “We wouldn’t want anyone to run away with the idea that this stadium is ready to stage an Olympic track and field championship tomorrow.” He added: “With one year and a few months to go, this is a great place to be”…

…When Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber looks at the Boston market, he sees potential. Unlike most MLS clubs, the Revolution remains locked into the expansive, suburban setting of Gillette Stadium instead of a soccer-specific stadium. The situation isn’t as dire as the stadium crisis in Washington — Revolution investor/operators Jonathan and Robert Kraft control the stadium and derive the benefits from its revenue streams — but it does make Garber wonder how much the Revs could grow if they played in a more intimate venue closer to Boston…

… It began as a whispered rumor in the fall, gained credence when NBA Commissioner David Stern confirmed relocation negotiations during last month’s All-Star Game and officially became a distinct possibility this week when the Anaheim, CA, City Council voted unanimously to approve up to $75 million in lease-revenue bonds that will help the Sacramento Kings move to Anaheim in time for next season. “Historic night” was the phrase thrown around most often by Mayor Tom Tait and council members during a one-hour meeting interrupted several times by applause in what seemed more like a pep rally at times than a city-government proceeding…

…The Nevada Legislature earlier this month rejected a plan by Caesars Entertainment to build a $500 million sports arena on the Las Vegas Strip. Now the Senate Revenue Committee has introduced a bill that could put another roadblock in Caesars’ plans. Caesars gathered more than 220,000 signatures to ask voters next year to approve a 0.9% increase in a special tax district, which would fund the arena. MGM Resorts International has opposed the plan. Senate Bill 495, introduced this week, would prohibit a special tax district or the creation of an area in which the sales tax was higher than other parts of the county…

…Los Angeles officials are inviting members of the public to share their concerns and suggestions surrounding a proposed downtown NFL stadium. The scoping meeting scheduled for Wednesday evening is a required step in the project’s environmental-review process. Its purpose is to identify issues that need to be addressed in the Environmental Impact Report being prepared for the project. Environmental groups have expressed concerns that stadium planner AEG may seek state legislation protecting it from lawsuits over its environmental-review process.