It may seem like a pie-in-the-sky goal — but a local group says Boston is the perfect city to host the 2024 Summer Olympics. The signals are mixed about whether Mayor Thomas Menino is on board — and that’s putting it kindly. Still, the suggestion got us thinking about what a Boston Olympics might mean – for better or for worse.
First things first: if Boston formally bids for the Olympics, Menino has a perfect excuse to seek re-election – again and again and again. After all, does city councilor John Connolly really have the gravitas to host the Games?
“He’s a young kid,” Menino told reporters last week.
As for venues, forget Fenway Park. It’s too small and too baseball-specific. Instead, Boston would have to build a huge new Olympic stadium from scratch.
Here’s an idea – build the stadium here in Brighton. This spot is right by the New Balance building. And it’s totally visible from the WGBH offices, not that that’s a major consideration …
Boston would also need an Olympic Village capable of housing 16,000 athletes. Fortunately, we’ve already got BU. Between free dorm rooms and the … occasionally reliable Green Line, it’s a match made in heaven.
Some Boston Olympic decisions would be easy – like where to hold the marathon.
But there’d be plenty of other chances to get creative. For example: why not hold the high diving events at the Filene’s Hole? It’s centrally located. The pool’s pretty much dug already. And right now, there’s not much else going on.
Given Boston’s track record with big, ambitious projects, it’s doubtful that anything would go wrong. But rest easy: if prep for the games fell apart, we’ve got an experienced local who’d be just the guy to step in – and set things right.
Open all references in tabs: [1 – 7]