Talks continue to heat up regarding the possibility of Boston hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics. While State Senator Bob Hedlund calls the idea a “Pipe Dream,” the fact remains: the idea is on the table.
Governor Deval Patrick has already signed a bill calling for an investigation into the feasibility of Boston hosting the 2024 games. And now, a recent report by the Boston Globe says “an elite group including some of the area’s most powerful business leaders, developers, and construction experts is quietly exploring the prospect of bringing the 2024 Summer Olympic Games to Boston.”
John Fish, chairman of Suffolk Construction, reportedly hosted a two-day “delegation of the United States Olympic Committee” in October, who met with various group members to discuss possible Boston sites for the Games.
In a move that suggest this is a serious bid – rather than public relations stunt – the group recruited Mitt Romney as a “key adviser.” As many already know, Romney – before running for office – ran the Salt Lake City winter Games in 2002.
“Boston would be a fantastic place for the summer Games,” Romney told the Globe during a phone interview on Saturday. “It would be a marvelous community-building experience for Boston, and I think the people who would enjoy the games with or without tickets would say it was one of the best experiences of their life.”
Other supporters and advisers of Boston Games include outgoing Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis and New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft.
“It has to be done thoughtfully,” Fish told the Globe, regarding the process of talks to make Boston the 2024 host-city. “It has to be based on analytics. It has to be slow and deliberate. It has to be done with consensus. And we need to sit at the table and have this discussion constructively — or we’ll never know.”
Specifically, questions about the financial scope and ramifications of the Games, and how much Boston stands to gain must be dealt with, before talks move out of the “speculative” stages.
Romney – though his politics may be polarizing – has received praise for his handling of the 2002 Salt Lake Games, and has already begun focusing on the economic aspect of the large-scale event.
“If you’re successful in your sponsorship effort, then your share of the broadcast revenue, your share of the top sponsors, and your own sponsors you’ve gathered should be enough to pay for your Olympics, plus ticket sales on top of that,” Romney told the Globe.
On top of financing the games, structures, “including a stadium that would host the opening and closing ceremonies as well as track and field events,” still need to be built. Fish, however, told the Globe that a “broad survey” for potential locations of possible new developments is already underway.
Even if Boston does not get the host-city nod, efforts to bring the Games to a U.S. city have been in the works since last February, at least.
According to a September 11 report by NBC Sports, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), sent letters to 35 mayors of major cities to “gauge interest” in potential 2024 bids. Cities that reportedly expressed interests include Dallas, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.
The U.S. hasn’t hosted the Olympics since the 2002 Salt Lake Games, and is currently “in the midst of its longest stretch between hosting Olympics since the 28-year gap between 1932 (Los Angeles, Summer) and 1960 (Squaw Valley, Winter).”
Bidding is scheduled to begin for the 2024 Olympics in 2015. And the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will vote in 2017.
And, no, new Red Line and Orange Line cars still won’t be installed by then.
Image via WBUR
