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San Francisco Treat: Bay Area Vision For '24 Games Relies Heavily On Existing Venues

S.F. Olympic bid organizers on Thursday revealed an "updated vision" for potentially hosting the '24 Summer Games, and it consists of a $4.5B, "privately financed plan that relies heavily on existing facilities, temporary venues in picturesque locations and select sites designed to provide long-term benefits to residents," according to John Cote of the S.F. CHRONICLE. The idea is to contain costs in an era that has "often been marked by profligate public spending on facilities." S.F. Mayor Ed Lee said, "We’re not going to be building white elephants in our city or anyplace in our region. Anything that we construct is going to have to be thought through. ... That’s how we’re going to never leave taxpayers with any kind of hook on this." The city's Olympic Village to house the athletes "would be in 2,000 units of housing already approved as the fourth phase of development at the Hunters Point shipyard, which Olympic organizers would rent from developer Lennar Urban." While S.F. is "the named city in its bid, the proposal for the Games is a regional effort," with venues stretching from San Pablo Reservoir in the East Bay to the San Jose Convention Center. Of the 26 planned venues, 23 "are either already built," in development -- such as the Warriors' new arena -- or "will be temporary" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 12/19). In L.A., David Wharton noted marathon runners "would stride across the Golden Gate Bridge and cyclists would race through Marina Green." Other athletes "would compete in two of the nation's top pro stadiums" -- AT&T Park and Levi's Stadium. The opening ceremonies "would take place in a temporary 60,000-seat stadium constructed on landfill beside the bay" (L.A. TIMES, 12/19).

RISK VS. REWARD: A SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS editorial states in "many ways, the Bay Area is the perfect choice" to host the '24 Games. But questions remain as to if the region can "afford to pay its share." Cities in the region "need a guarantee that taxpayers won't get stuck with cost overruns." While a Bay Area Olympics "could be exciting," cities such as San Jose and Santa Clara "can't shoulder huge security costs -- especially when most of the economic benefits of the games will go to San Francisco" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 12/20).

SHIPPING UP? In Boston, John Powers notes local backers of the city's hopeful hosting plans "have already begun to address concerns about traffic, exploring ways to use existing, temporary, and reusable venues close to mass transit stops." Boston 2024 Partnership President Dan O’Connell said, "Our guideline is no venue more than a 10-minute walk from a T or commuter rail stop." He added that Boston "has learned from London’s organizers, who worked with businesses to reduce traffic during commuting times by adopting staggered work hours during the Games." O’Connell "offered an early estimate for Boston’s stadium." He said, "It would cost $700 million for a stadium that we’ll be proud of for the Games and that will satisfy the IOC and $500 million of that is infrastructure costs." Powers noted what makes Boston’s scheme "distinct from that of the other three competing cities is its use of numerous college venues, especially those along the Charles River and the harbor campus at UMass-Boston, which would be the site" of the Olympic Village (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/22).

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