Olympic Bid Going Strong

By Margaret Lyons in News on Jul 9, 2008 3:53PM

Pat Ryan, head of Chicago's 2016 bid, says he thinks our Olympic-hosting hopes are in fine shape, despite the recent and ongoing violence. "In terms of it resonating with [International Olympic Committee] voters and saying Chicago is an unsafe city, I don't think that would be the case at all," he said. The IOC has already evaluated Chicago's safety and found it acceptable.

Which might be why the city feels so comfortable throwing down $85 million for the 37-acre Michael Reese Hospital land. The city plans to resell the property to developers some time after the IOC hands down a host-city decision for 2016, at which point the area will be converted into either an Olympic Village or just...a regular village. [AP, S-T, S-T]