Pittsburgh among cities invited to bid for 2024 Summer Olympics (Athens: rentals, hotel)

[JoeP]

Traffic is not an issue. Ask people who lived in Atlanta during the Olympics. It's not a big deal.

However, cost is, not to mention venues and hotel rooms.

Now most cities have to build venues, so nothing new there. Not sure where Pgh would build additional ones and I don't see the area having enough hotel rooms.

As for Ohio and WV.

What? If Pittsburgh would host it, Pittsburgh would well, host it. Yes many events happen far from the city, but it should be Western PA that benefits.

That said, I think the Winter games would make more sense, if PA's ski areas are up to such standards for those events.

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by Caladium

Fun idea, but can you imagine the traffic headaches?

That's what we said in Atlanta before the games, but it didn't happen. I think a lot of people left or just stayed and worked at home. Traffic wasn't a problem.

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by hnsq

I agree that it shouldn't happen. Montreal hosted in 1976 and didn't pay off the debt they incurred from the Olympics until 2005! Do we really want to add so much debt to Pittsburgh's already poor financial situation?

Why not cite LA which was a smashing financial success?

[andyt4579]

Lets work on getting something smaller in scale first, like a college bowl game, the Super Bowl (now that they're OK to be all-weather) or the next presidential convention.

Hotels? Just revamp all the properties on Allegheny Angel's list of houses ready to be torn down and rent those out to visitors. Anyone else thinking Spring Garden Olympic Village?

[hnsq]

Originally Posted by MathmanMathman

Why not cite LA which was a smashing financial success?

Los Angeles in '84 is the only Olympic game in history to not have any competing bidders, which meant it could produce very low expectations in terms of housing, amenities, etc. Many of the 'Olympic structures' that cities have to promise to build to attract the games were a non-issue since Los Angeles was bidding unopposed.

Unfortunately LA is the exception, not the rule.

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by Caladium

Fun idea, but can you imagine the traffic headaches?

Honestly, one of the ancillary benefits to hosting the Olympics would be that PennDOT and the FHWA would be forced to upgrade I-376 to something befitting a major city. For this reason, I'm all in favor of an Olympic bid.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Kippy

Oh come on, it is the Olympics! It would be an honor and a priviledge to host the 2024 Olympics.

Many cities benefit from hosting the Olympics, just look at Barcelona as case in point.

Exactly! You guys should be thrilled! *I see Denver is on the list too!* We went to the Salt Lake City Olympics, and it was fabulous! However, a caveat:

2024 Olympics bid invitations sent to 35 U.S. cities - Washington Times
**The United States Olympic Committee on Tuesday sent a letter to the mayors of 35 U.S. cities inviting them to throw their names into the ring as a potential host for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Letters went to the 25 largest cities in the country, plus 10 others that had previously expressed an interest in hosting. Washington at Baltimore are on the list, along with previous hosts Los Angeles, Atlanta and St. Louis.

There is no guarantee the USOC will submit an Applicant City for 2024 to the International Olympic Committee.

[sskink]

Have Bob Nutting put in charge. It'll be done on the cheap and profitably and for the first 3/4 of the Olympics it'll even look professional.

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by hnsq

Los Angeles in '84 is the only Olympic game in history to not have any competing bidders, which meant it could produce very low expectations in terms of housing, amenities, etc. Many of the 'Olympic structures' that cities have to promise to build to attract the games were a non-issue since Los Angeles was bidding unopposed.

Unfortunately LA is the exception, not the rule.

Ok, fine, cite Atlanta.

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by Katiana

Exactly! You guys should be thrilled! *I see Denver is on the list too!* We went to the Salt Lake City Olympics, and it was fabulous!

Denver however has a stigma. They got the 1976 Winter Olympics and then were unable to host so the games moved to Innsbruck. Very embarrassing for Denver and the US. Denver would have to do a lot of convincing possibly with a lot of stuff up front.