AEG Closer To Danish Deal

Having secured the backing of Copenhagen council’s culture and finance committees, AEG appears to be nailed on to head the construction and operation of the city’s new arena.

The Los Angeles-based company needs only the nod from the full council, which is meeting to discuss the issue March 12.

The Danish media may have caused some red faces at AEG when several newspapers heralded the company as the winner after it had secured only the support of the culture and leisure committee’s Feb. 5 meeting.

Up to that point, the American company wouldn’t even confirm it had tendered for the contract, with AEG European vice president of facilities Brian Kabatznick telling Pollstar, “We’re not commenting on the process or our involvement.”

The other bidder is FC Amager soccer club chairman Brian Møllerup, who heads a consortium that includes investment partners FCA Invest and Gemelli Invest.
Møllerup was in no mood to quit after the culture committee favoured AEG and was still hopeful after the finance committee followed suit.

The arena, which should be completed in 2013, will be on a new development at Ørestad, part of a plan to make the area the “new town” within the Danish capital.

It will use the city’s Metro as the primary public transport grid connecting the area with the rest of Copenhagen.