American regeneration expert is named to build Olympics legacy

The deputy mayor of Philadelphia was today named as the £200,000-a-year chief of the company chosen to deliver a legacy for the Olympic Park.

Urban development expert Andrew Altman will be responsible for attracting private investment in the 600-hectare park near Stratford to ensure it does not become a burden to the taxpayer after the 2012 Games.

As head of the "2012 legacy delivery company" established by London Mayor Boris Johnson, Mr Altman must find long-term tenants for the sports venues and developers to deliver thousand houses at the site.

He was recommended by Richard Rogers, the Mayor's architecture adviser. His appointment comes five months after he was named as a deputy mayor for planning and economic development in his home town of Philadelphia.

Mr Altman led the private sector regeneration of a swathe of waterfront in Washington DC, similar to the Olympic Park in that it had been dominated by industrial sites and had a history of deprivation.

His CV also includes public sector experience with senior planning roles in Washington, Los Angeles and Oakland.

Mr Johnson said: "Transforming this area into a thriving new district of London is one of the biggest regeneration projects in Europe. Andrew Altman is a big-hitter with his impressive record in leading and delivering huge development and regeneration projects in some of the largest cities of the US."