Boston 2024 Begins Public Outreach -- On the Scene

(ATR) Boston 2024 gave its first public bid presentation to a packed house Wednesday night.

Several hundred people turned up to Boston Convention and Exhibition Center on Jan. 21 for the first opportunity to directly question Boston bid leaders.

John Fish and Dan O’Connell, chair and president of Boston 2024 respectively were the headliners of the seven-member panel.

Sixteen questions were answered on topics ranging from Games cost, security and land acquisition. Questions were submitted on slips of paper and randomly drawn before answering. Boston 2024 said any unanswered questions would be answered online.

There was little new information from Boston after Wednesday's media briefing where the bid released pertinent information for the first time. Instead, Fish, O'Connell and the rest of the panel assured Bostonians that the Games can be a success and not be a substantial burden on taxpayers.

Allaying concerns about white elephant stadia post-Games, Fish said the IOC "was not attracted to these exotic animals."

Before questions were answered, Boston gave the same presentation they gave to the U.S. Olympic Committee Board when making its pitch. Fish, O'Connell, the Rev. Jeffrey Brown, the former leader of a faith-based crime-fighting organization all attempted to rally public support behind the bid.

Throughout the meeting, the message from the leadership reiterated that Boston hosting the 2024 Olympics would fit into a largergoal of transforming the city for its 400th anniversary in 2030.

Most people in the room seemed to be in favor of learning more about the bid before firming up an opinion. The USOC had asked for a low-key bid up to now for its potential bid cities.

Boston 2024 announced they would be holding monthly public meetings, in to be determined locations, to continue the bid's effort to engage citizens. One person routinely booed at the end of presentations, but there appeared to be little else in the way of dissent.

O'Connell said the meetings would go to "any community in the city or state that's interested."

Mayor Marty Walsh will begin a series of nine meetings starting on Jan. 27 to discuss the bid in an open forum it is expected that more members from the opposition group No Boston Olympics will attend this meeting to challenge the bid.

A full schedule of meetings from mayor Marty Walsh can be found here.

Written by Aaron Bauer

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