Boston bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics

Bids for the
2024 (2024) Summer Olympics
Overview
Games of the XXXIII Olympiad
Details
City Boston, Massachusetts, United States
NOC US Olympic Committee
Previous Games hosted
None
Decision
Result Withdrawn

The Boston 2024 Partnership was a privately backed, controversial bid to bring the 2024 Summer Olympics to the city of Boston, Massachusetts.[1] The official proposal was submitted on September 12, 2014[2] On January 8, 2015, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) chose Boston to compete with candidates around the world,[3] and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will select the host city in 2017.[4]

Boston beat out Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, DC for the official US bid.[3] Boston was the only first-time bidder in the group.[5] Polls conducted in early 2015 indicated declining support in the Boston area for hosting the Olympics.[6] On July 27, 2015, the city and the USOC mutually agreed to terminate Boston's bid to host the Games.[7]

Bid history

In 2013, Boston was one of 35 cities invited by the USOC to explore the possibility of submitting a bid to host the 2024 Olympics. The Massachusetts State Senate passed a bill, filed by Lowell senator Eileen Donoghue, that July to create a feasibility commission to study this possibility. After then passing through the House of Representatives and receiving the signature of Governor Deval Patrick, the Feasibility Commission was formed that fall, with appointees from Governor Deval Patrick, Senate President Therese Murray, Speaker Robert DeLeo, Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, House Minority Leader Bradley Jones, Jr., and Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh . The Feasibility Commission was staffed with corporate executives (covering real estate/construction, tourism, and sports management) and political officials or their aides.

The commission released its final report on February 27, 2014, which identified possible venues, legacy opportunities, and security risks for the Games.[8]

In January 2014, the leaders of the feasibility commission created the non-profit Boston 2024 Partnership. Suffolk Construction Company CEO John Fish, the Chairman of the feasibility commission, became the treasurer, clerk, and director (then, later, chairman) of Boston 2024. Massachusetts Competitive Partnership CEO Daniel O’Connell, another appointee from the feasibility commission, became the president. New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft, Boston Celtics co-owner and Bain Capital executive Stephen Pagliuca, and Gloria Cordes Larson of Bentley were listed as directors. The Boston 2024 Partnership then put together an Executive Committee of local business leaders, university presidents, and athletes to develop the bid.[9]

On June 13, 2014, Boston made the USOC's shortlist for the 2024 Games.[10]

The bid was submitted to the USOC on December 1, 2014, but, at that point, there had been no open public meetings about the bid, nor had the bid been released to the public—points of continuing controversy that factored into the bid’s ultimate demise.

On December 16, 2014, Mayor Martin Walsh joined the Boston 2024 Partnership to present before the USOC.[11]

On January 8, 2015, the USOC selected Boston as its bidding city for the 2024 Olympic Games. To avoid criticisms of conflicts of interest, Boston 2024 chairman John Fish recused himself and Suffolk Construction Company from any Olympic-related bidding.[12]

On January 21, 2015, Boston 2024 released a redacted version of the bid they submitted to the USOC.[13] The full, unredacted version of the bid was not released until July 24, 2015, after the Boston City Council threatened to issue a subpoena to obtain them. The redactions included the mention of a $500 million shortfall, Boston 2024's willingness to get laws changed to suit the Olympics, and the Partnership's downplaying of Olympic opposition and the possibility of a voter referendum.[14]

On January 23, 2015, former MassDOT Secretary Richard A. Davey was appointed CEO of the Boston 2024 Partnership, replacing Dan O'Connell, who remained a part of the Executive Committee.[15]

On March 9, 2015, Boston 2024 released salary information for its staff as well as the details for how much it was paying various consultants. Boston 2024 was paying $124,000 a month to consulting firms, excluding the $7,500 a week that former Governor Deval Patrick was receiving as a bid ambassador.[16]

On April 22, 2015, Boston 2024 announced a new 30-member board of directors, including celebrity athletes like Larry Bird, Jo Jo White, and Michelle Kwan, as well as members of the USOC.[17]

On May 21, 2015, Stephen Pagliuca replaced John Fish as chairman of the Boston 2024 Partnership.[18]

On June 15, 2015, Boston 2024 added 17 new members to its board of directors, including Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman and former Boston mayor Raymond Flynn.[19]

Funding

Acknowledging the overspending at past Olympics like Beijing and Sochi, the Boston 2024 Partnership promised that it would rely on private funds (with the exception of federal security spending), existing facilities and temporary venues, and transportation projects that had previously received approval.[4]

In the budget released in January 2015, Boston 2024 included an operating budget of $4.7 billion, a development budget of $3.4 billion, and an infrastructure budget of $5.2 billion.[20] Andrew Zimbalist, a sports economist at Smith College criticized these budget numbers for numerous omissions and overly optimistic assumptions.[21]

In May, a public records request on an economic impact assessment of the bid commissioned by the Boston Foundation found that Boston 2024 planned to use tax increment financing for construction of the Olympic stadium, contradicting the group's earlier statements that no public funds would be used.[22]

In mid-July 2015, the Boston Globe reported that Boston 2024 was experiencing difficulties in fundraising.[23]

Potential venues

The original bid leaned on the use of existing facilities at Boston-area universities as well as venues like Gillette Stadium and the TD Garden.[4] However, some events were pegged for other parts of the state, including rowing in the Merrimack River in Lowell [24]

Before Boston could host the Olympic Games, several facilities would need to be built: a temporary stadium to seat 60,000 people,[25] an Olympic village that spans 100 acres, a velodrome, and an aquatics center.[26]

Proposed 2024 Boston Olympics venues
Type Venue Location Activities Transit access
E Minute Man Sportsman Club Billerica Shooting Lowell Line B, North Billerica Station
E Agganis Arena (Boston University) Boston Badminton Green Line B, West Station
E Boston Convention Center Boston (South Boston) Judo, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball, wrestling Silver Line, Indigo Line
E Gillette Stadium Foxborough Soccer (finals), rugby sevens Commuter Rail
E Harvard Stadium (Harvard University) Boston Field hockey Red Line
E TD Garden Boston Basketball (finals), gymnastics (artistic and trampoline) North Station
E Tsongas Center (UMass Lowell) Lowell Boxing Lowell Line + bus
T Assembly Square Somerville Velodrome Orange Line
T Beacon Park Yard Boston Aquatics, tennis West Station, Green Line B
T Boston Common Boston Beach volleyball Red Line, Green Line
T Connecticut River, Deerfield River Deerfield and Westfield Canoe, kayak
T Franklin Park Boston Equestrian, modern pentathlon Orange Line, Fairmount Line
T Killian Court (MIT) Cambridge Archery Red Line
T Olympic Stadium Boston (Widett Circle) Multi-sport (60,000 seats) South Station
P Media Center Boston Convention Center Press and media reporting Silver Line, Indigo Line
T Merrimack River Lowell Rowing Lowell Line
T/P Olympic Village Boston (Bayside Expo) Athlete housing (16,000 beds) Red Line

Type key: E = existing facility, P = new, permanent, T = new, temporary[27]

From the start, Boston 2024's venue selection was dogged by missteps. When the redacted bid book was released in January, property owners in and around designated venues, particularly Widett Circle (Olympic stadium) and Columbia Point (Olympic Village) alleged that they had never been contacted directly by Boston 2024.[28] In March, Friends of the Public Garden released a formal statement opposing the siting of beach volleyball in Boston Common.[29] The Franklin Park Coalition criticized Boston 2024 for not providing detailed information about their plans for the park.[30]

On June 29, 2015, Boston 2024 released a revised Bid 2.0, with new cost estimates, some new venue locations, and plans for post-Olympic development in Widett Circle and Columbia Point. Notable venue changes included moving beach volleyball to Squantum Point Park and tennis to Harambee Park. Sailing was moved to New Bedford and shooting to Billerica. Locations for eight of the 33 venues, including big-ticket items like the velodrome, the aquatics center, and the media center, were left unidentified.[31] The reception from residents near Squantum Point Park was mixed to negative at a community meeting in early July.[32]

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, Senate President Stan Rosenberg, and Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo commissioned consulting firm the Brattle Group to conduct a study of Bid 2.0, to be capped at $250,000.[33] On August 18, 2015, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker released the results of the study, which found that Boston 2024 Partnership may have underestimated costs by up to $3 billion.[34] The firm found that some of the biggest unaccounted for costs would come from contigency funds and incentives needed to entice developers to bid on the massive construction projects at Widett Circle and Columbia Point. The Brattle Group report estimated those combined costs could range up to $1 billion.[35]

Transportation improvements

The Boston bid relied on several transportation system improvements, most already approved by the state legislature but not yet fully funded, These included:[27]

According to a Boston Globe review, six projects, totaling $2.35 billion, had already been funded. Another six projects with a total cost of $5.16 billion had $1 billion committed to them, with a resulting gap of $4.16 billion. Five additional projects, with a total cost of $343 million, had no funds committed.[36]

Opposition

Boston's bid for the 2024 Olympics attracted an engaged and vocal opposition. In December 2013, around the same time as the state's Feasibility Commission launched, the group No Boston Olympics was formed. No Boston Olympics emphasized the economic risk involved with signing a financial guarantee for the IOC, the corruption of the IOC, and the opportunity costs involved in hosting.[37] In November 2014, another group, No Boston 2024, emerged. No Boston 2024 focused on the social injustices inherent to the modern Olympic process, including displacement, militarization, widening inequality, and the diversion of public spending from basic needs. Although the groups differed in tactics, tone, and emphases, they frequently collaborated around the common goal of defeating the city's Olympic bid.[38] No Boston 2024 was able to shine light on the city's behind-the-scenes work on the bid through numerous public records requests.[39]

Former gubernatorial candidate Evan Falchuk, of the United Independent Party, was an early critic of the bid and launched a campaign for a ballot initiative barring public spending on the Olympics.[40]

Although support for the Olympic bid in the Boston area was at 55% to 33% in early post-selection polling, it fell significantly in subsequent months as residents learned more about what hosting the Olympics would entail and grew increasingly skeptical of Boston 2024's promises that no public funding would be used. In February, Boston area support had fallen to 44%, with 46% opposed. Starting in March until the bid's demise, opposition consistently polled over 50%.[41]

Withdrawal of bid

On July 27, 2015, United States Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun and Boston 2024 Chairman Steve Pagliuca issued a joint statement that officially ended the city's Olympic bid.

Rumors that the USOC might pull Boston's bid had been swirling since late March due to low polling numbers and continued interest by Los Angeles in hosting.[42]

After release of a revised bid on June 29, 2015, failed to effect a change in Boston 2024's polling numbers, and with the September 15 IOC deadline looming, the USOC put increasing pressure on Mayor Marty Walsh and Governor Charlie Baker to help boost the bid's popularity. Baker, who along with the state legislature had commissioned an economic analysis of the bid, held a press conference on July 24, 2015, to reassert that he did not intend to take a position on the bid until after the release of the commissioned report.[43] The following Monday, with rumors swirling that the USOC would vote on terminating the bid that afternoon, Mayor Martin Walsh held a press conference asserting that, despite the fact that he had already signed a letter the previous October stating that he would sign the Host City Contract without reservation, he was not comfortable signing the financial guarantee in its current form at that time.[44] The USOC voted to terminate the bid that afternoon in mutual agreement with the City of Boston.

On September 1, 2015, the USOC formally named Los Angeles as the US's bidding city for the 2024 Summer Olympics.[45]

Although the Boston 2024 Partnership was over $4 million in debt after the bid was pulled, it officially settled its debts by the end of September 2015.[46]

A poll of Boston residents taken in July 2016 showed that 44 percent thought the Boston Olympics would have been a good thing for the city, but slightly more (48 percent) disagreed.[47] The poll results were identical to polls from July 2015, weeks before the bid ultimately collapsed.

References

  1. ↑ Horowitz, Evan (November 19, 2014). "What are the costs and benefits of a Boston Olympics?". Boston Globe.
  2. ↑ Annear, Steve (December 2, 2014). "Boston Officially Submits a Bid to Host the 2024 Olympics". Boston magazine.
  3. 1 2 "Boston will bid to host 2024 Olympic Games: USOC". Yahoo! Sports. Reuters. January 8, 2015. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 Arsenault, Mark (November 23, 2014). "Boston bidders hope time is right for frugal Games". The Boston Globe.
  5. ↑ Powers, John (September 16, 2014). "Compact Boston may have Olympic advantage". The Boston Globe.
  6. ↑ Nikisch, Kurt (March 20, 2015). "Support For Boston Olympics Falls Further, WBUR Poll Finds". WBUR. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  7. ↑ Vaccaro, Adam (July 27, 2015). "Boston's Olympic Bid is Dead". Boston Globe. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  8. ↑ Annear, Steve (February 28, 2014). "Read the Commission's Report About Hosting the Olympics in Boston". Boston Magazine.
  9. ↑ Chesto, Jon (July 11, 2014). "Here are the players behind Boston's Olympic effort". Boston Business Journal.
  10. ↑ Arsenault, Mark (June 13, 2014). "Boston makes US short list for 2024 Olympics". The Boston Globe.
  11. ↑ Quinn, Garrett (December 16, 2014). "Boston Olympic boosters, Mayor Marty Walsh head to San Francisco to pitch Boston for 2024 games". MassLive.
  12. ↑ Arsenault, Mark (January 9, 2015). "John Fish recuses construction company from Olympic projects". The Boston Globe.
  13. ↑ Quinn, Garrett (January 21, 2015). "Read the bid documents Boston Olympics boosters submitted to the USOC". MassLive.
  14. ↑ Douglas, Craig; Ryan, Greg (July 24, 2015). "Documents reveal Boston Olympics group budgeted for $500M operating loss, downplayed referendum". Boston Business Journal.
  15. ↑ Levenson, Michael; Arsenault, Mark (January 23, 2015). "Ex-transportation chief to head Boston 2024 campaign". Boston Globe. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  16. ↑ Vaccaro, Adam (March 9, 2015). "Patrick to Make $7,500 Per Day When Traveling for Boston 2024 Work". Boston.com.
  17. ↑ Arsenault, Mark (April 22, 2015). "Championship pedigree to join Boston 2024 board". Boston Globe.
  18. ↑ Arsenault, Mark (May 21, 2015). "Pagliuca takes over as Boston 2024 chairman". The Boston Globe.
  19. ↑ Arsenault, Mark (June 15, 2015). "Ray Flynn, Aly Raisman to join Boston 2024 board". The Boston Globe.
  20. ↑ Carlock, Catherine (January 22, 2015). "The Boston 2024 Budget by the Numbers". Boston Business Journal.
  21. ↑ Zimbalist, Andrew (January 29, 2015). "A Look at Olympics Budget Points to Overruns". Boston Globe.
  22. ↑ Ryan, Greg (May 28, 2015). "Bond experts: Boston 2024 financing plan contradicts vow to avoid public funds". Boston Business Journal.
  23. ↑ Leung, Shirley (July 15, 2015). "Big Boston 2024 donors are in a wait-and-see mode". Boston Globe.
  24. ↑ "Lowell eyed as potential venue for Boston Olympic events". WCVB. January 10, 2015.
  25. ↑ Chesto, Jon (October 22, 2014). "Here's why local Olympics organizers switched to a temporary stadium". Boston Business Journal.
  26. ↑ Levenson, Michael (February 26, 2014). "Boston Olympics in 2024 would be a 'monumental task'". The Boston Globe.
  27. 1 2 Revenue to dictate difficult choices on Olympic transit projects, Michael Levenson and Nicole Dungca, The Boston Globe, January 10, 2015
  28. ↑ Ross, Case; Adams, Dan (January 24, 2015). "Landowners say consent not given for Games plans". Boston Globe.
  29. ↑ Anear, Steve (March 13, 2015). "City parks group sounds caution over proposed Common role in 2024 Games". Boston Globe.
  30. ↑ Dezenski, Lauren (March 26, 2015). "Franklin Park leaders: We need more info from 2024 planners". Dorchester Reporter.
  31. ↑ Swasey, Benjamin (June 29, 2015). "Boston 2024 Releases Its Revised Olympic Bid". WBUR.
  32. ↑ Ronan, Patrick (July 9, 2015). "Quincy residents voice concerns at Boston 2024 meeting". The WBUR.
  33. ↑ "State Leaders Hire Firm To Analyze Boston 2024 Bid". www.wbur.org. Retrieved 2016-08-15.
  34. ↑ "Boston Olympics report 'real risks' of bid, officials say - The Boston Globe". Retrieved 2016-08-15.
  35. ↑ "Massachusetts Governor's Office" (PDF). Analysis of the Boston 2024 Proposed Summer Olympic Plans. Brattle Group. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  36. ↑ Levenson, Michael (February 24, 2015). "Planned Olympic transit projects pose funding challenge". Boston Globe.
  37. ↑ Vaccaro, Adam (April 2, 2015). "They Just Don't Want the Olympics". Boston.com.
  38. ↑ Vaccaro, Adam (April 2, 2015). "Different Strategies, Same Goal: How Boston's Olympic Opponents Work Together". Boston.com.
  39. ↑ Reilly, Adam (July 13, 2015). "How Anti-Olympic Activists Are Shaping Boston 2024 Media Coverage". WGBH. Archived from the original on September 14, 2015.
  40. ↑ Dumcius, Gintautas (July 16, 2015). "Coalition against public financing of Olympics files 2016 ballot proposal". MassLive.
  41. ↑ Enwemeka, Zeninjor (July 27, 2015). "7 Reasons Why Boston's Olympic Bid Failed". WBUR.
  42. ↑ Futterman, Matthew (March 31, 2015). "Lack of Public Support May Doom Boston's Bid for 2024 Olympics". Wall Street Journal.
  43. ↑ Dumcius, Gintautas (July 24, 2015). "Gov. Charlie Baker, pressed for position, maintains distance from Boston Olympics proposal". MassLive.
  44. ↑ Bird, Hayden (July 31, 2015). "In Fact, Mayor Walsh Did Agree to Sign a 2024 Taxpayer Guarantee". BostInno.
  45. ↑ Wharton, David (September 1, 2015). "USOC names Los Angeles the official US bidder for the 2024 Summer Olympics". Los Angeles Times.
  46. ↑ Arsenault, Mark (September 30, 2015). "Boston 2024 settles debts, closes books". Boston Globe.
  47. ↑ "Analysis: A Year Later, No Regrets On Boston 2024". www.wbur.org. Retrieved 2016-08-15.

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