http://deadspin.com/nobody-wants-to-host-t...pics-1582151092

Not that I'm advocating a bid, but just pointing out that the US could host a Winter Olympics for far less than $52B.

NYC not interested in the 2024 summer games.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/break...story?track=rss

I still say, if the federal government provides any additional funds, bring it to Chicago. It might be a net loser at the end of the day, but if we get some public transportation improvement out of it, maybe it's not such a bad idea.

I can't see any logic in hosting a winter games. So often they are smaller cities with no hope to use that money again.

"With the Sochi games raising the bar to an absurd $51 billion, hosting the Olympics no longer looks like a winning proposition."

 

Sochi was such an odd case. They essentially created an entire city from scratch, and waisted billions on corruption.

 

Vancouver cost $6.4 billion and Turino cost $700 million. With the right city, it can be done for a reasonable cost (less than $4 billion)

I can't see any logic in hosting a winter games. So often they are smaller cities with no hope to use that money again.

 

The bobsled and luge track are one of the biggest problems. Those aren't cheap and take up space, but won't get much use afterwards. The are only 17 tracks in the whole world, with Korea building #18 for 2018 Olympics.

I just wonder what the final bill would have been if Chicago got the 2016 games. People were upset. I think we dodged a bullet.

I just wonder what the final bill would have been if Chicago got the 2016 games. People were upset. I think we dodged a bullet.

 

 

Thinking about things like major updates to the train lines, and fixing things like the circle interchange that would have had to be done by 2016, it would have been worth it. Sure it would have been hell leading up to it, but those things being done in a timely manner would have been so awesome.

It would have been amazing for Chicago.

 

And Olympics wouldnt be worry about 2022 because the US wouldnt be "freezing" them out.

The IOC Demands That Helped Push Norway Out of Winter Olympic Bidding Are Hilarious

 

It is now down to Almaty, Kazakhstan and Beijing.

 

• They demand to meet the king prior to the opening ceremony. Afterwards, there shall be a cocktail reception. Drinks shall be paid for by the Royal Palace or the local organizing committee.
• Separate lanes should be created on all roads where IOC members will travel, which are not to be used by regular people or public transportation.
• A welcome greeting from the local Olympic boss and the hotel manager should be presented in IOC members' rooms, along with fruit and cakes of the season. (Seasonal fruit in Oslo in February is a challenge ...)
• The hotel bar at their hotel should extend its hours “extra late” and the minibars must stock Coke products.
• The IOC president shall be welcomed ceremoniously on the runway when he arrives.
• The IOC members should have separate entrances and exits to and from the airport.
• During the opening and closing ceremonies a fully stocked bar shall be available. During competition days, wine and beer will do at the stadium lounge.
• IOC members shall be greeted with a smile when arriving at their hotel.
• Meeting rooms shall be kept at exactly 20 degrees Celsius at all times.
• The hot food offered in the lounges at venues should be replaced at regular intervals, as IOC members might “risk” having to eat several meals at the same lounge during the Olympics.

The IOC Demands That Helped Push Norway Out of Winter Olympic Bidding Are Hilarious

 

It is now down to Almaty, Kazakhstan and Beijing.

 

Another victory for human rights!!!

I just wonder what the final bill would have been if Chicago got the 2016 games. People were upset. I think we dodged a bullet.

 

Summer games leave behind much more useful infrastructure than a winter games. As others have mentioned, WTF do you do with a bobsled/luge run? Summer games leaves behind stadiums and arenas that can be used for lots of purposes.

 

Still, I think hosting a Summer games is much more beneficial for a mid size city like Atlanta or Indianapolis than a large city like NY or Chicago.

The IOC Demands That Helped Push Norway Out of Winter Olympic Bidding Are Hilarious

 

It is now down to Almaty, Kazakhstan and Beijing.

 

It's basically a Jerry Jones Saturday night minus the hookers.

NFL is about as bad in regards to Super Bowl locations. They just aren't corrupt like the IOC.

Looks like you don't even have to have the Winter Olympics in a cold city anymore.

 

I hope more countries back-out and make the IOC scramble to find someone.

Looks like you don't even have to have the Winter Olympics in a cold city anymore.

 

I hope more countries back-out and make the IOC scramble to find someone.

 

Both those cities will be around freezing in January/February. Much better than Sochi.

Both those cities will be around freezing in January/February. Much better than Sochi.

 

Sochi was a pretty bad place for the Winter Olympics, it rarely gets below freezing temps.

 

When I think of Beijing, I don't think of snow and winter sports, I think of pollution.

Looks like you don't even have to have the Winter Olympics in a cold city anymore.

 

I hope more countries back-out and make the IOC scramble to find someone.

 

After what happened with Chicago's 2016 bid, all I can say is

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Did you guys see this?

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/p...1001-story.html

 

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has borrowed more than $21 million to start paying for the former Michael Reese hospital site that was bought as part of former Mayor Richard M. Daley’s failed bid for the 2016 summer Olympics..

 

City Hall must now find the money to pay off both those loans and the $14.2 million or so due next year for principal and interest on the South Side property. Taxpayers will be on the hook for as much as $134 million during the next decade — the $91 million purchase price plus about $43 million in net interest and development costs — unless the city can find a company to start developing the land.

 

Costs could go even higher because Emanuel has borrowed money to make the initial Reese payments and is thinking about borrowing more for future payments. So far, the city’s payments have only covered interest costs on the complex deal, meaning the city has borrowed to pay interest and not principal.

 

The city should be paying the Reese costs out of cash on hand, said Laurence Msall, president of the Civic Federation budget watchdog organization. And it should be doing more to market the property or put it to productive use, he added.

 

In early 2009, Daley purchased the 49-acre hospital site south of the McCormick Place convention center as a potential site for an Olympic Village. At the time, city officials said the site could easily be resold if the city did not snag the Olympics, but then a prolonged bottoming-out of the real estate market set in.

 

Last year, the city released an $885,000 study outlining a host of potential mixed-use development options for the land and surrounding area. Suggested anchors included a casino, cluster of hotels and the future Obama Presidential Library, with the last idea recently rejected by those in charge of the library effort.

 

To pay off the loans the city already has taken out and cover the payments going forward, Emanuel is considering three options: Borrowing more money long term, taking on more short-term debt or paying the cost out of operating revenue while working “to right the city’s financial ship,” said Carl Gutierrez, city budget spokesman.

 

The city brought the Reese property from Medline Industries, which returned $27.5 million to the city to demolish buildings and clean up the site. That cost $20 million, with the rest going into the city’s day-to-day spending fund, Gutierrez said. Future payments from Medline totaling $5 million will be used for environmental cleanup at the site, he said.

 

How to address the Reese payments is one of the issues Emanuel is grappling with as he and his top financial officials put together next year’s budget.

 

Substantially increasing taxes, fees or fines to cover some of next year’s increased costs for the Reese site and other city expenses is unlikely because of timing — the budget must be approved before year’s end, and all city offices are on the ballot in late February.

 

On Wednesday, Emanuel ruled out property, sales and gas tax increases, as he has in each of his city budget proposals since being elected in 2011. Emanuel has increased a host of other taxes, fees and fines, however, and raised property taxes at Chicago Public Schools.

 

Emanuel and aldermen recently increased telephone fees for emergency services, figuring they were less likely to inspire voter wrath than a contemplated property tax hike. Those higher phone fees now are in effect, and are expected to raise about $50 million by the end of next year.

 

But the mayor still must find a way to cover $65 million in back pay for police officers under a contract proposal negotiated with the Fraternal Order of Police.

 

In the short term, the mayor is expected to borrow for police back pay, just as he borrowed the $21 million to pay for back-interest on the Michael Reese site. Emanuel has been drawing down a city line of credit that was increased last year to $1 billion.

China wont back out. They'll wait it out until they are the last country standing. They want the attention.

Did you guys see this?

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/p...1001-story.html

I don't know how things are going in Chicago but I've been impressed at the public/private agreements for development of beaten down areas taking place in Pittsburgh since I arrived here. There's been one major deal completed in the last 2 months and another is processing to redevelop very large areas, including the former hockey arena site. Like 20 year commitments with tax dollars going certain places to certain committees.

 

The quoted redevelopment cost to the city here has been far less than what it actually was and they turned the money into private investment in the area that is going to make a huge dent in that region. Again, no idea how that compares to Chicago but in the sense of urban redevelopment, you can look at those costs as a negative or as a long term opportunity.

 

Some might even use the word crisatunity.

I don't know how things are going in Chicago but I've been impressed at the public/private agreements for development of beaten down areas taking place in Pittsburgh since I arrived here. There's been one major deal completed in the last 2 months and another is processing to redevelop very large areas, including the former hockey arena site. Like 20 year commitments with tax dollars going certain places to certain committees.

 

The quoted redevelopment cost to the city here has been far less than what it actually was and they turned the money into private investment in the area that is going to make a huge dent in that region. Again, no idea how that compares to Chicago but in the sense of urban redevelopment, you can look at those costs as a negative or as a long term opportunity.

 

Some might even use the word crisatunity.

 

How well do you know Rich Daley?

How well do you know Rich Daley?

Yeah, I figured things had this "extra issue" there. Then again, I don't know the background in Pittsburgh so I'd actually be surprised if there wasn't a strong Union legacy here that had its hands in lots of things...but yeah, that's still not the Daley dynasty.