Boston 2024 unveiled the first look at its “2.0” plan on Wednesday in New Bedford, showcasing where the updated version of the bid intends to host the sailing venue. Set in Buzzards Bay, bid organizers described how it would be an ideal location for the event, given that the annual regatta hosted there is the largest in the United States. The bid itself conveyed that they worked “extensively” with “the City of New Bedford’s Olympic Sailing Steering Committee, elected officials and other key stakeholders” in reaching the decision to move the bid there.

The New Bedford announcement is only the first in what will be a series for Boston 2024, as they slowly roll out their 2.0 plan. The culmination will come on June 30, when the entire updated bid is expected to be released. Additional venue changes are expected, and given the shift to New Bedford, it’s likely that more locations outside of Boston will be named than in the bid’s original iteration, which focused much more on the “walkable” concept.

Update: Boston 2024 chief operating officer Erin Murphy refuted the notion that bid is moving away from its original promise of a walkable games in a statement:

The proposal for sailing in New Bedford was a reflection of listening: to communities, elected officials and athletes. We fully intend to adhere to our core mission of delivering a walkable, sustainable and public transit-oriented Games. The vast majority of the venues in our revised plan will be within a short radius of downtown Boston. For some events, like sailing, the best location will be in other communities around Massachusetts. New Bedford is a perfect example and we can’t imagine a better place for Olympic sailing.

Though exact details were not given, a combination of “temporary and permanent” facilities would be constructed. And as has been identified in other areas of the proposed bid, “economic growth” was cited as a reason for welcoming Boston 2024. Still, it remains to be seen exactly how a sailing event in 2024 will draw tangible growth to the area. When the full updated plan is released, a more thorough analysis will be made.

What’s clear is that New Bedford sought Boston 2024, and not the other way around, as New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell said during the press conference.

Unfortunately for the bid, the initial announcement on social media was not without incident. The initial release used a faulty website link, resulting in viewers being taken to a page that look liked this:

An update (with the correct link) was quickly made.

And, as WGBH’s Anne Mostue noted, there was a peculiar word choice made by one of the “key stakeholders” in the New Bedford area:

 

The bid initially wanted to rollout its updated plan in the fall, but political pressure (exerted largely by Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker) forced the acceleration of the 2.0 release.

Image via Boston 2024

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