Richmond aspires to the fast track

The city of Richmond south of Vancouver has announced it will compete to build the Olympic Speed Skating Oval for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The city will submit a formal proposal to the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee later this month.
Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia are also competing to have the Oval, which is seen by some as the premier competition venue of the Games. The multi-purpose facility will include a short-track rink.
Richmond would begin a public consultation process to obtain input on what uses the building might be used for once the games are over.
The mayor of Burnaby, is reportedly upset that Richmond is competing against Simon Fraser University which was the original site picked for the Oval and is located within Burnaby’s boundaries.
Lani Schultz, director of corporate and intergovernment relations at the city of Richmond says that they are preparing their proposal based on concepts and requirements supplied by the Olympic Organizing Committee and won’t be hiring consultants to prepare a specific design until they know if they are successful.