The newly appointed Chief Executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation, Dennis Hone, confirmed today that the stadium would not reopen until August 2015 at the earliest.
He added that the opening date could be pushed back until August 2016 if current favourites West Ham win the bid race for a new tenant.
Hone told the London Assembly’s Budget and Performance Committee that the Corporation was exploring various design options to convert the stadium to meet the specifications of the four bidders.
He said the “most complex options” would be unlikely to be completed until the start of the football season in August 2016 – four years after the Games.
Hone also denied reportsthat the stadium could be home to an American Football team, saying no formal bid had been received, and no approach had been made outside of the bidding process.
John Biggs AM, Chair of the Budget and Performance Committee said: “It’s disappointing to hear of more delay to the Olympic Stadium legacy.
“Regardless of who gets the stadium, a huge amount of work will need to be done before it can reopen to the public.
“Over the next three or four years, the LLDC will have to face that extra cost while coping with lost rent and lower visitor numbers on the Olympic Park.”