gay games 2014 (Cleveland: hotel, university, casino)

[shakeababy]

does anybody know if the city/county are planning any infrastructure investments for the gay games in 2014?

a little bird told me that if cleveland does a good job for the gay games, it would be a sort of "dry run" for olympics and consider a bid as an american hosting city.

[costello_musicman]

Infrastructure at what level?

For sure, the stadiums (Browns stadium, etc) will be used in their current forms.

HOWEVER, don't forget what is going to be completed by 2014 that is already underway:

- Casino
- Aquarium in the Flats
- Aloft Hotel in the Flats
- Rowing Park in the Flats
- Skate Park in the Flats
- Flats East Bank tower
- Marina by RRHOF
- Med Mart/Convention Center
- Schofield Building into Kimpton properties hotel
- Tudor Arms conversion into hotel
- University Circle Uptown Mariott hotel
- Uptown (apts and retail)
- MOCA
- Cleveland Museum of Art Expansion

Just to name a few...

[Clevelander17]

Originally Posted by shakeababy

a little bird told me that if cleveland does a good job for the gay games, it would be a sort of "dry run" for olympics and consider a bid as an american hosting city.

Winter Olympics? Maybe, but highly unlikely. Summer Olympics? Absolutely not.

Cleveland may solidify its image as a great place for 2nd/3rd tier sporting events, but we'll never get something as big as the Olympics. Heck when the U.S. made its most recent bid for the World Cup, Cleveland, despite hosting dozens of soccer games at CBS over the years, was passed over.

[YaFace]

No chance in hell Cleveland hosts the Olympics. They won't give us the political conventions or even the Final Four. Sheeit we have the Rock Hall and we only get the induction ceremony every three years! We always get the second tier crap no one else wants.

[Clevelander17]

Originally Posted by YaFace

We always get the second tier crap no one else wants.

I don't know about that. It's cool we host the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament every few years (this year, for example). I think we'll soon also get one of the presidential party conventions. But the Olympics? No chance.

[shakeababy]

regarding the olympics, it's just a rumor.....

[Cleveland_Collector]

Riiiight, nobody wants the NCAA first or second rounds, the NIT, or the "gay games." That's why is it that dozens of cities vie for these "second tier" events every chance they get?

If Cleveland can host the "gay games." It can host the summer Olympics. There would certainly need to be additions to the area, but that is the case with any city. This isn't to say we're on the radar. But, to say that we couldn't do it is downright silly.

[Clevelander17]

Originally Posted by Cleveland_Collector

If Cleveland can host the "gay games." It can host the summer Olympics. There would certainly need to be additions to the area, but that is the case with any city. This isn't to say we're on the radar. But, to say that we couldn't do it is downright silly.

Logistically, you may be right about having the infrastructure to host it. That said, lately there's been a megacity trend with the Summer Olympics hosts (and even candidate cities) and that's something that would hold Cleveland back. Actually it's clear that the USOC has picked up on this trend, too, and the most recent US candidate city entries were New York (for 2012) and Chicago (for 2016).

[Cleveland_Collector]

I don't disagree. The Olympics, which used to be about amateur competition, is little more than an extension of professional athletics anymore with the commercialism to boot. It's all about what's on the marquee these days. That's precisely why the summer and winter games are now staggered. It was too difficult to maintain the hype and sell the advertising time. The days of Lake Placid are clearly over with. This goes double for the summer games where geography/topography isn't nearly as important.