LA, Paris get Olympics

jose melendez

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Paris gets 2024 and LA 2028, basically because no one else wanted it.

Kind of amazing, but if Boston hadn't backed out, we really probably would have gotten an olympics. Good thing we backed out. Sort of gives the esteem of winning, without actually having to finance the damn thing.
 

trekfan55

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Well, a city like LA, which already has the facillities and the stadiums is an ideal host.

They have the Collisuem, they have the Staples Center, they have the Rams stadium (plus whatever other stadiums are needed). I am guessing that exisiting facillities would be used for swimming and diving events and they can probably easilly get the rooms for the Olympic Village.

The quote from Mayor Garcetti:

“When people say costs could run over, I say, ‘For what?’” Garcetti said Wednesday. “For a [Rams] stadium we don’t own? For arenas that are already built and used every day?”

LA 2028 now turns its attention from the stress of bidding to the hard work of organization. Unlike other hosts, it will have more than a decade to prepare
Is very telling. A city like Rio had to build special facillities, and in these times the IOC will find less (if at all like we see here) cities willing to do this.
 

Van Everyman

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I worked on the Boston bid near the end of the process. I understand why people opposed the idea and winning the bid would not have come without its challenges. But I do think Boston hosting the Olympics would have been a net positive for a city.
 

Senator Donut

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Well, a city like LA, which already has the facillities and the stadiums is an ideal host.

They have the Collisuem, they have the Staples Center, they have the Rams stadium (plus whatever other stadiums are needed). I am guessing that exisiting facillities would be used for swimming and diving events and they can probably easilly get the rooms for the Olympic Village.
And yet Boston beat them out to win the 2024 USOC bid.

Of those you mentioned, the Coliseum seems most important. There is zero need for a city to have a 80,000-seat track and field facility. The Coliseum is one of the few facilities in a America that could be used as such a venue. As an example, check out the small fraction of Centennial Olympic Stadium that Georgia State uses for football.

I worked on the Boston bid near the end of the process. I understand why people opposed the idea and winning the bid would not have come without its challenges. But I do think Boston hosting the Olympics would have been a net positive for a city.
This is my opinion as well, but I understand the complete lack of confidence residents had in Boston 2024 to deliver on their promises.
 

djbayko

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Well, a city like LA, which already has the facillities and the stadiums is an ideal host.

They have the Collisuem, they have the Staples Center, they have the Rams stadium (plus whatever other stadiums are needed). I am guessing that exisiting facillities would be used for swimming and diving events and they can probably easilly get the rooms for the Olympic Village.

The quote from Mayor Garcetti:



Is very telling. A city like Rio had to build special facillities, and in these times the IOC will find less (if at all like we see here) cities willing to do this.
I've read a summary of the LA proposal before. Los Angeles really has almost everything because it's so large. For example, you mentioned the Olympic Village. The plan there is to utilize the beautiful UCLA campus, which will be mostly unoccupied in the summer. I guess most cities have something that, but I figured I'd answer your question.

Don't forget that the city also has the Rose Bowl, the StubHub, the Forum, potentially a new NBA stadium, and 1 or 2 NFL stadiums being built.
 

kenneycb

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I worked on the Boston bid near the end of the process. I understand why people opposed the idea and winning the bid would not have come without its challenges. But I do think Boston hosting the Olympics would have been a net positive for a city.
Care to elaborate, as it's a topic I'm genuinely curious about? I probably fall on your side as well though I admittedly think a lot of people were being overly pessimistic.
 

section15

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I concur with Van. I, too, worked with Boston 2024 as a volunteer.

Let's put the scare tactics aside, and the gloom and doom forecasts. Why a net gain?

- Boston did a remarkable job at rebuilding in the latter half of the 20th century, in terms of infrastructure. But a lot of that is just worn out. Most particularly, the T - a lot of re-hab needs to be done. Having a deadline = 2024 - is a great motivator to get things done.

- There are many public facilities around Boston - Franklin Park, being one, in dire need of rehab. The Olympics would have provided some needed "love" - also, UMass-Boston. Also, some other public facilities.

- All Boston needed to construct was a track and field stadium (and a temp stadium would have worked, if not at Widett Circle, Suffolk Downs) -- and a velodrome. An aquatic center? Could have easily been done at a campus -- even temporary seating for several thousand. Equestrian? If not Franklin Park, there were several other sites.

- The colleges - BC, BU, Northeastern, Harvard (Stadium), Tufts, UMass Lowell, all have facilities for smaller events. Baseball? Enough minor league parks in/around the city. Other arenas - DCU Center, aforementioned Lowell, TD Garden, Matthews, Dunkin' Center in Providence, Springfield, UMass-Amherst, everything in place.

Now - mistakes that were made -

1) To suggest a walking Olympics. Too unrealistic, too expensive, and security concerns.
2) Beach Volleyball on the Boston Common. Not a good idea. And should have been assessed before an announcement.
3) Suggested sites - whose owners had not been contacted - were included in "book one". Example = golf at The Country Club in Brookline. No problem there - other courses were happy to welcome Olympic golf, but ... the concept...
4) Lack of candor in describing and detailing finances.

Net gains -

- Rebuilt public transportation systems
- some new facilities (would have led to gentrification of some areas, but ) -- particularly Sportsmens Tennis Club.
- tourism
- Olympic arts festival (2 years leading up to the Olympics)
- a new soccer stadium within the city limits
- obviously - improved tourism and display of Boston and environs before the world
- elevation of UMass Boston to a residential campus

What have we lost?

- No pressure to rebuild the T. Already we've seen cutbacks of future plans (which may be cut entirely)
- UMass Boston will not get what we might need for higher ed in the future
- no soccer stadium in the city
- no commitment to improve other things (parks, etc.).

Without the deadline of Boston 2024 - Boston "2030" is going to have a tougher jump start.

Boston was chosen originally over LA - we do not have the California debt crisis, we do not have a drought, the city and the surrounding areas aren't gang-infested, even though there are transport snarls - you would be able to get around to the sites, and taxes and costs are lower here than in LA.

So ... we're gonna be where we are today in seven years. For better or worse (I say worse).

Los Angeles has less to build, to be sure - but they have many more problems than we have to face. It will be interesting to see how Los Angeles' progress is on this in the next four years or so...
 
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GoJeff!

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Boston was chosen originally over LA - we do not have the California debt crisis, we do not have a drought, the city and the surrounding areas aren't gang-infested, even though there are transport snarls - you would be able to get around to the sites, and taxes and costs are lower here than in LA.
Good post, but the negatives on LA are out of date. The drought ended this spring, the debt crisis ended in 2012. "Gang infested" can be argued a few different ways, but it's not 1990 and the crime rate in LA is low and actually quite similar to Boston. No argument regarding terrible traffic, but, as with Boston, the Olympics should help speed up some of the ongoing mass transit projects.

I never understood why the Boston bid didn't plan to use college housing for the Olympic village. It's a huge expense for temporary structures, and one of the few areas where Boston has a big advantage over most cities. LA is using UCLA dorms for housing, which makes sense to me.
 

Ale Xander

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I've read a summary of the LA proposal before. Los Angeles really has almost everything because it's so large. For example, you mentioned the Olympic Village. The plan there is to utilize the beautiful UCLA campus, which will be mostly unoccupied in the summer. I guess most cities have something that, but I figured I'd answer your question.

Don't forget that the city also has the Rose Bowl, the StubHub, the Forum, potentially a new NBA stadium, and 1 or 2 NFL stadiums being built.
Honda Center is also planned for indoor volleyball, and Pauley Pavilion for wrestling. I like the former idea, not the latter. Wrestlers gonna uglify the campus lol.
Forum is planned for gymnastics.

I'm assuming Staples gets basketball but haven't heard that definitively.
There's just so many venues in LA/OC it's really the best fit.
 

soxhop411

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Good post, but the negatives on LA are out of date. The drought ended this spring, the debt crisis ended in 2012. "Gang infested" can be argued a few different ways, but it's not 1990 and the crime rate in LA is low and actually quite similar to Boston. No argument regarding terrible traffic, but, as with Boston, the Olympics should help speed up some of the ongoing mass transit projects.

I never understood why the Boston bid didn't plan to use college housing for the Olympic village. It's a huge expense for temporary structures, and one of the few areas where Boston has a big advantage over most cities. LA is using UCLA dorms for housing, which makes sense to me.

Yup.

You can read about most of the transit projects here
https://la.curbed.com/2017/8/4/16098474/olympics-transit-future-subway-rail
 

section15

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As far as Olympic housing, the plan was to use some temporary and create some permanent housing at UMass-Boston - and create an Olympic village there. The idea being, UMass.Bos would become a residential campus - like Lowell, etc.
 

TallerThanPedroia

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I worked on the Boston bid near the end of the process. I understand why people opposed the idea and winning the bid would not have come without its challenges. But I do think Boston hosting the Olympics would have been a net positive for a city.
This is my opinion as well, but I understand the complete lack of confidence residents had in Boston 2024 to deliver on their promises.
I concur with Van. I, too, worked with Boston 2024 as a volunteer.
You monsters!

I kid. But seriously, which one of you is Corey Dinopolous?

As someone who was in the vicinity of the fence on Boston2024 and ended up strongly opposed, I wish LA all the luck.
 

reggiecleveland

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Amazing to me Toronto didn't bid. It seems they have taken the ironic hipster route to 'World Class City" status, by not bidding for the Olympics. They were into not bidding for the Olympics before it was cool.
 

The Needler

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Amazing to me Toronto didn't bid. It seems they have taken the ironic hipster route to 'World Class City" status, by not bidding for the Olympics. They were into not bidding for the Olympics before it was cool.
Toronto bid for the 2008 Olympics, but this is a really ironic, hipster-like, and random diss of that stupid city up north.
 

reggiecleveland

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They debated in their city council 2016, 2020, 2028, etc. The most recent press and media coverage has been they could host the Olympics if they wanted.
 

section15

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You monsters!

I kid. But seriously, which one of you is Corey Dinopolous?

As someone who was in the vicinity of the fence on Boston2024 and ended up strongly opposed, I wish LA all the luck.
Does my picture in my Avatar look like Corey D? I knew Corey during the process, met him, learned he's a good guy, and admired his ideas - but no, I'm not him, as you can see.