Boston Releases Original Bid Book; USOC Asks Governor for Stance

(ATR) In an effort to increase transparency in the bid, Boston 2024 released the original bid documents presented to the United States Olympic Committee in December 2014.

Included in the documents is a notation of all the changes made to the original bid plan presented to the USOC, and the one presented to the citizens of Boston in January.

Omissions from the plan released in January include sections on a potential referendum, public opposition to the bid, how the Olympic stadium would be converted, how the bid would raise funds, budget projections for the Olympic Stadium, Main Press Center/International Broadcast Center, and the Athlete’s Village, revenue projections, a full organizing committee budget, and how any revenue shortfalls would be made up.

The bid’s release comes less than 24 hours after Boston 2024 leadership engaged opposition group No Boston Olympics in a televised debate about the bid. Boston 2024 has moved away from the original bid plan, repeatedly saying during the debate that "Bid 2.0" has supplanted the original plan, is what the organizing committee is focusing on as the bid goes forward.

"Although initially private due to confidential and competitive concerns, we agree that the public and the City Council ought to be able to review this information. That is why, with the support of Mayor Walsh and the USOC, we are releasing this earlier version of the plan today," Steve Pagliuca, Boston 2024 chairman, said in a statement.

"The preliminary bid book was intended to serve as a ‘proof of concept’ – a general demonstration that Boston can, in fact, serve as host city. While it served that purpose well, it was not meant to be a final or operable plan."

Boston 2024 has struggled to gain a majority of support in the city of Boston and polls have stagnated around 40 percent support.

Public disapproval stems from the potential that hosting the 2024 Olympic bid could cost the taxpayer money, as the IOC requires host cities to sign a bid city contract putting cities on the hook for cost overruns.

Another sticking point for the public is necessary upgrades for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Boston 2024 says that the Olympics will spur the necessary upgrades, although the public appears skeptical.

The USOC remains committed to the Boston bid, and would like to hear the opinions of Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker on the project. Baker and the state government hired the consultant firm the Brattle Group to do an independent analysis on the Boston 2024 project, which is due in August.

A report from the AP suggested that the USOC asked Baker to weigh in on the project as soon as he can.

"I get that fact that everybody would love us to just sort of say 'yea' or 'nay' today, and I appreciate the fact that the timing in all of this is frustrating," Baker said at a press conference on July 24.

"This is a 10-year decision and I wouldn't be doing the taxpayers ... or the city of Boston or the Olympics or anybody else any favors if we made this decision with anything less than the full report from the Brattle Group."

Baker said that he will speak with the USOC on Monday for a call, and that the Olympic Committee did not ask for a decision by the end of the day.

The USOC has until Sept. 15 to submit a letter of intent to bid for the 2024 Olympics. Budapest, Hamburg, Paris, and Rome are expected to be the competition for the Games. Toronto says they are waiting until after the 2015 Pan American Games to consider an Olympic bid for 2024.

Written by Aaron Bauer

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