Results tagged “hostcitycontract”

In a move that surprised no one, the City Council today voted 49-0 to approve the host city contract for the 2016 Summer Olympics that Mayor Daley will now sign, putting the city on the hook for the cost of the Games, though officials insist taxpayers are well-insulated in the case of a financial disaster thanks, in part, to insurance policies. Said Mayor Daley moments before the vote, "This is not about Richard M. Daley's legacy. This is about the city of Chicago.This is a journey. A journey requires all of us being committed." Daley's earlier refusal to sign the contract was seen as a hurdle for the city's bid; the other three candidate cities - Rio, Tokyo, and Madrid - had all signed the contract and a signed contract was an IOC preference though not a requirement. It was telling that an IOC member was present for today's vote. Perhaps just as telling was this line from the Trib's report: "Afterward, aldermen and Mayor Richard Daley gave themselves a standing ovation."

Chicago 2016 made a 45-minute pitch to members of the IOC today, attempting to convince them why Chicago should be chosen as host city for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Ireland IOC Rep Patrick Hickey, who seems to think Chicago will win the bid, said afterward of Chicago's presentation, "It was excellent, and I heard a lot of good comments from my colleagues." Each city - Chicago, Rio, Madrid, and Tokyo - had 45 minutes to make a presentation and then up to 45 minutes for a Q & A session with the IOC members. USOC VP Bob Ctvrtlik said, "There were areas where we can improve a little bit, especially in giving more details. We were trying to do in 45 minutes what we did in 3 days for the evaluation commission."