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Mayor Pours Cold Water on Prospect of 2024 Olympics Bid by Boston as Detroit Mayor Says a Definite No |
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Olympics - 07 Mar 2013 - A proposed bid by Boston in USA to host the Olympic Games in 2024 is “far-fetched,” according to Thomas Menino, the city’s mayor.
Menino was reacting to what was described as a “promising meeting” by Eric Reddy, chairman of the Boston Olympic Exploratory Committee, a private group which held a meeting with city officials earlier this week.
Menino poured cold water on the idea, saying: “I think it’s far-fetched. I’d also be concerned about the cost of it and what it costs to taxpayers of the city of Boston. Just to apply, to be considered costs $6-8 million — not refundable either. So that’s $6-8 million that was used of public funds to apply for consideration for the Olympics. At this time, I think it’s a far-fetched idea, and just wish that I knew about it before it was in the paper.
“Especially in these economic times, with what’s happening in Washington today and what could possibly happen in the state, I need every penny I have to make sure we continue the services to the people of Boston.”
Menino added that the city would struggle to find the land to build the required facilities, saying: “I just don’t know where we could create that massive land in our city or in the surrounding cities.”
Meanwhile, Dave Bing, the mayor of Detroit, has said that the city will definitely not bid to stage the games, citing "uncertainty" over the city's long-term financial stability.
Last month, the US Olympic Committee wrote to the mayors of 35 cities in USA to ascertain their interest in bidding to stage the Olympic Games in 2024.
The USOC said that it was the very start of a preliminary process, and that there was “no guarantee” of a bid being lodged.
Cities that had previously expressed interest in bidding, as well as the 25 cities in the largest US markets, were contacted. These included Boston and Detroit.
A barrier to a US bid for the Olympics was lifted in May 2012, when the USOC finally signed an agreement with the International Olympic Committee to resolve a long-running dispute over the share of Olympic revenues it receives.
The new 20-year deal with the IOC runs until 2040 and involves the USOC paying games costs, taking a lower share of television revenues and a lower share of top-tier 'TOP' sponsorship revenues.
The revenue dispute was partly blamed for the failure of the bids by New York and Chicago to host the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, and the USOC did not submit bids for the 2018 and 2020 games.
Other cities that have expressed interest in bidding to host the 2024 games include: Paris in France; Dubai in the United Arab Emirates; Doha in Qatar; Rome in Italy; Berlin or Hamburg in Germany; Toronto in Canada; Nairobi in Kenya; Melbourne in Australia; Baku in Azerbaijan; and a South African city.
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