Red-Light Cameras Not So Special?
Cubs Combat Casino
The Return of The Chicagoist Reader Meet-Up
County Sales Tax Rollback Vetoed - Here We Go Again
PHOTOS: Peaches And Amanda Blank At Metro
The story of Chicago’s bid for the Olympics thus far (in convenient web-links): In 2005 Maggie Haskins suggested Chicago as the US’ best shot at bringing home the games after New York didn’t get the 2012 bid, by mid 2006 we’re officially in the running, a revised bid this past September, a cool logo in October, and better odds when San Francisco dropped out a month ago. Now, where the rubber meets the road, who’s going to put up the money to make this thing happen?
We’ve got a good chance to best the competition: we’re a large, well known city, and we have a solid plan to do the games in style. The real question facing the people in charge is and has always been the economics. Is this going to be a money maker for the city the Midwest, and the country? If anyone can give a good answer to that question it’s the Economics Club of Chicago and its members. Some of those members being the original set of local businesses who offered to front the cost of making the bid. The Economics Club held a sold out 2000 seat dinner last night to hear Chicago’s proposal.
If Chicago wins the 2016 games, we at Chicagoist think it could be a bit like the Worlds Fairs were at the turn of the century. We have always wondered what it would be like to be host to the world, to see all of the new buildings going up and the completely strange traffic patterns that would ensue. Our old friends from far away places would have a really good reason to call us up for that visit we offered many years ago.
According to CBS, Daley has already secured most of the $25 million in commitments needed, and no local government money would be involved. It would be quite a feat to pull this off without going 300% over budget and raising Chicagoist’s income taxes to compensate but maybe spending on a budget will work out this time.
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
Lets do it!! What do you suggest Mayor Daley sells next to pay for the Olympics? Navy Pier? City Hall? Lets pay all the debts Chicago has first, than start on new debt.
Oy. I seriously hope that the Olympics goes somewhere else. I'm not a big fan of the Olympic Committee and I would hate to see the city completely congested for the duration of the games.
Let the world go elsewhere.
chris, complaining of congestion in chicago... A suburbanite transplant I'm guessing?
Not giving a damn about NIMBYs is what made and continues to make Chicago great. Build the skyscrapers, bring in a million flights through O'Hare, and keep it busy, that's Chicago.
The olympics are just what we need. Not the games themselves, but the media exposure (sick of LA and NYC all the time), the improved transit infrastructure, and the economic boost that is sure to follow is WELL worth 3 weeks of additional visitors.
Let the world go elsewhere? How about let the world come to a fine city built FOR it?
Moe, I certainly would hope the infrastructure improvements would be in place for this, because as we've seen the past week, starting with the shooting last Friday, we can barely handle getting people home during normal rush periods, try adding all the extra attention the Olympics would bring.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the exposure, but let it be done without fracking things up for the people that already live here.
That logo is so much better than the one designed for NYC 2012.
I would think that John Bryan (ex-Sara Lee CEO who raised the millions for MPark) would be able to shake some cash loose from the city's elite (if he's not already part of the effort). One might also assume big developers (and the real estate industry in general) could be enticed to fork over some green, since it would (in the long run) help fill up some of the billion condos being thrown up hither and yon. Oh, and Oprah should be good for 10 million or so (think about the endless amount of specials she could do before/during/after).
Dear Mister C,
Please get your facts right, it's Pat Ryan, not John Bryan, but nice try.
I've said it before and will say it again, that logo is 8,000 different kinds of hott.
Here's the real question -- will the Olympics be enough to get the Circle Line and Red Line extensions done, because that may be what we need now, more than anything.
I can see the Circle Line, but I don't think any potential Olympic venues would be south of 95th, unless they were in Indiana or something.
How could it impact the Red Line extension?
nm well they will need the extension to 130th st for the olympic scavenger hunt in the landfills. Or better yet they could set up the Olympic Village in the Hegewisch trailer court. Hopefully they can make the Chicago Olympics will be more like MTV's gauntlet.
I would not be surprised that the venue is plan somewhere else and these donators are buying land around what the real site might be. The city just needs to get the friends of the park to be against the current site, do a little anti-PR and bam the donators become rich because that how it was planned. I would laugh my a$$ off if that does happen. Hmmm maybe I should look into buying some land around the city.
Missus B,
My facts are straight. John Bryan (ex-CEO of Sara Lee) raised almost all of the private money for Millennium Park. Pat Ryan (the Executive Chairman of Aon) may have coughed up some dough for MPark, but did it at John Bryan's request.
Pat Ryan is already in charge of the Olympic bid but John Bryan could also help raise money (if he's not already involved in some fashion). Just like I said.
Nice try at snarking, though. But it's generally a good idea to know what you're talking about first.
Considering the fact that the CTA has totally melted down this year, all any other city has to do is have the USOC & IOC members that are doing the choosing & Chicago loses out.