Blueprint for Detroit's 2020 Olympic bid

[iheartthed]

Olympics' impact on Atlanta still subject to debate
1996
Summer Games enhanced city's global reputation, but some see few benefits

By Dahleen Glanton
Tribune reporter
September 21, 2009

ATLANTA - -- On hot days, children frolic in the cooling waters of the Fountain of Rings at Centennial Olympic Park.

At night, the fountain transforms into an illuminating spectacle of synchronized lights and water jetting 15 to 35 feet in the air to the sounds of Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" or "Under the Sea" from "The Little Mermaid."

The fountain is the centerpiece of Atlanta's finest public park -- a $57 million gift to the city after the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games.

"Atlanta benefited more than any other city in the history of the Olympics," said A.D. Frazier, the chief operating officer for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games. "Afterward, we had no debt and we left behind a legacy of privately funded structures the city would not have seen otherwise."

Thirteen years later, the financial legacy of the Olympics in Atlanta is harder to detect. Like many major cities, Atlanta has fallen victim to the recession, forced to lay off teachers and city workers while slashing services. The City Council recently voted to raise property taxes to cover a $56 million budget deficit.

Twenty years ago, when Atlanta decided to bid for the games, it was a fairly well-known Southern city that dreamed of rising to international prominence.

Winning the Olympic bid catapulted Atlanta into the big leagues, giving it name recognition around the globe. Atlanta's $1.7 billion private-funded investment in hosting the games helped revitalize its sluggish downtown and poured $5 billion into the metropolitan area's economy during the next decade, according to the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.

Atlanta's cost was less than half of the $4.8 billion Chicago has estimated it will need to raise if the city is awarded the 2016 Olympic Games.

According to Billy Payne, the Atlanta businessman who spearheaded the city's bid, the greatest gift was not the economic benefits but the pride that still lingers from having hosted the Olympics.

"Winning the games is the most uplifting, prideful, beat-on-your-chest moment Atlantans ever experienced," said Payne, whose bronze statue stands in Centennial Park. "If you win a Super Bowl and a World Series and multiply it by 100, that is the passion and pride you feel about the opportunity to welcome the world to your community."

Most of Atlanta's downtown growth, the chamber of commerce said, was directly related to Centennial Park, the anchor for more than $1.8 billion in hotels, office buildings and high-rise apartments built since the Olympics.

"It consolidated efforts by Atlanta's business community and political community to say to international travelers and investors that this is great place to come and engage in commerce, and that has really boosted the city," said Michael Lomax, who headed the authority responsible for venue development.

Critics, however, said the city got too caught up in the glamour of hosting the games and lost sight of long-term goals such improving infrastructure and community development.

Olympic organizers point to the more than $500 million in new venues awarded to the Atlanta area at the end of the games, at no cost to taxpayers.

Atlanta was left with a $209 million baseball facility, formerly the Olympic Stadium and now Turner Field, home of the Atlanta Braves.

Georgia State University, primarily a commuter school, ended up with the Olympic Village housing complex -- an $85 million, 2,000-bed dormitory.

Georgia Tech got a $24 million swimming and diving center and a $12 million makeover of its coliseum. The city's historically black colleges -- Morehouse, Morris Brown, Spelman and Clark Atlanta -- received $89 million in athletic facilities. Other cities landed a white-water rowing center, a tennis stadium and an international horse park.

But the crown jewel was Centennial Park. What had been a 21-acre blighted eyesore on the edge of downtown was transformed into a dazzling central gathering spot for entertainment and mingling during the Olympics.

It was here that the greatest scar on the Olympics occurred -- a bombing that killed one woman and injured more than 100.

Except for the flameless cauldron that towers over Turner Field, Centennial Park, with its international flags, memorial quilts and Greek columns, is the only obvious indication that Atlanta once hosted the Olympics.

That is something that troubles Andrew Young, the former Atlanta mayor who lobbied for the games.

"I wanted some kind of Olympic symbol placed on the front of every facility we built. It could have been just a little fountain or something celebrating the Olympics, but we were afraid to spend too much money," Young said.

Atlanta spent about $6 million in its two-year bid to win the Olympics, Young said. Afterward, the fundraising organization was broke, he said.

"When they said, 'You've won the Olympics,' they gave us a letter and a bill for $1.5 million for the victory party. Frankly, we didn't have a penny," Young said.

That's when the committee turned to private investors.

Richard Padgett, who headed the Downtown Development Authority, said it was a mistake for Atlanta to try to finance the Olympics only with private funds. As a result, he said, the city missed an opportunity to solicit state and federal funds to revitalize neighborhoods and upgrade infrastructure, such as roads and an aged sewer system that the city is now spending $4 billion to replace.

"We got a baseball stadium and a very nice public park in the heart of the city. It's tough to say there were a whole lot of results other than that," Padgett said. "The business community believes it got what it wanted. But not everyone is sure we got enough."

There is one lesson most agree can be learned from the Atlanta experience: Everyone wants a piece of the pie, but there will never be enough to go around.

Homeowners who thought they could rent out their homes for big profit were disappointed. Vendors, mostly small and minority business owners, who paid $10,000 to $20,000 to sell their wares on the street ended up suing the city after going bankrupt. Every community lobbied for a venue, but only a handful got them.

"This is not a get-rich-quick program," said Munson Steed, who was awarded the contract to market the games. "The Olympics is about economic development of cities' institutions. It's a corporate event, not a common-person event."

dglanton@tribune.com
Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/c...870,full.story

[Meddle]

Will Detroit still exist then?

If it does, will the population be more or less than 400,000?

If they get the games, will they be held inside the city, or in Auburn Hills or Ann Arbor?

Will they use areas that are already vacant/abandoned, or will they bulldoze occupied areas that may be deemed more desirable/accessible?

[Red Devil]

The summer Olympics will be in Baghdad before they are ever in Detroit. SE Mich does not have the money, nor would it have the support [[statewide, nationally, or globally) to host such an event. As the dollar declines and the US attempts to export and inflate its way out of debt, the region's leaders should try to figure out how to capture as many of those jobs as possible. I doubt they can, though.

[Ray1936]

I suspect it will be a long, long, long, long time before the Olympics return to the United States. Maybe 2036 or 2040.

[dtowncitylover]

As an realist optimist...No. Not going to happen. In my lifetime, yes. In the forseeable future? No.

[Waymooreland]

I've always thought that the possibility of Detroit ever getting the Olympics relied upon the idea of it being billed as a Detroit-Windsor/US-Canada jointly hosted event. If the region could develop that sort of identity, I think that maybe...someday...it could happen...

Thoughts?

[401don]

"I think fish must get awfully tired of seafood"

Thoughts?

This constantly returning thread is turning this site into DetroitSILLY.com

[EastsideAl]

Detroit took its shot at the Olympics back when it was one of the wealthiest cities in the U.S. [[and therefore one of the wealthiest in the world), and headquarters to several of the world's largest and most profitable companies, back in the late '50s and early '60s. And pretty damn good bids they were too. But an Olympic bid is not really realistic for a city in steep population decline, with a broke major industry, that can barely keep its schools open and can't even keep its streets lighted.

[Gsgeorge]

I've always thought that the possibility of Detroit ever getting the Olympics relied upon the idea of it being billed as a Detroit-Windsor/US-Canada jointly hosted event. If the region could develop that sort of identity, I think that maybe...someday...it could happen...

Thoughts?

Great idea. Try getting our leaders to sign on. We can't even cross the border without getting our asses stretched. Sorry to be crude, but I just don't see how a cross-border event will work in the post-9/11 world, especially with the attitude and demeanor of the US border agents.

[dtowncitylover]

Great idea. Try getting our leaders to sign on. We can't even cross the border without getting our asses stretched. Sorry to be crude, but I just don't see how a cross-border event will work in the post-9/11 world, especially with the attitude and demeanor of the US border agents.

Doesn't the Detroit Marathon run in Windsor? I know it's not on the grand scale of the Olympics, but it could.

[iheartthed]

Detroit took its shot at the Olympics back when it was one of the wealthiest cities in the U.S. [[and therefore one of the wealthiest in the world), and headquarters to several of the world's largest and most profitable companies, back in the late '50s and early '60s.

What is your point in mentioning this? To highlight that being immensely wealthy is irrelevant to having a successful Olympic bid? In that case, I would agree. Mexico City, which beat out Detroit for 1968, was not nearly as prosperous of a city as Detroit was at the time. Atlanta during it's run up to 1996 was not prosperous either -- back then it was known for little more than being the hometown of Coca Cola.

But that aside, I think you guys are overstating exactly what a city needs to successfully host a games. The Detroit area is still a wealthy place on the global scale. It has the space. It has the buildings. It has the global notoriety. It has the need. Landing an Olympic bid would be the best vehicle that Detroit could hope for in re-inventing her image.

[hudkina]

I think Detroit's current economic standing could actually be more of an asset than a liability as far as the IOC is concerned. It's possible that Detroit could get more than a few pity votes, assuming the bid is a strong bid. The games don't always go to the wealthiest city. There is quite a bit of politics that go into the selection.

[wolverine]

I've thought about this since it was first brought up, but I've decided there is just no possible way Detroit could get the Olympics. Even if we put the issues such as crime, transportation, abandonment, unemployment aside, the city leaders can't get their acts together to organize an event like this. The disputes over Cobo are glaring example of what the IOC would not want to see. You could say leadership will get better, but that's hasn't worked for the past couple of decades. With that said, no way Detroit would ever get that far in process.

[dcmorrison12]

Wolverine - You mentioned "City Leaders". To be fair, and to include the full picture - you should change this to "Regional Leaders".

The regions issues don't simply lay on Detroit's shoulders. Both sides don't get along with one another.

Cobo can't be blamed all on Detroit, HOWEVER, the city council DID disgrace us [[Detroit). On the other hand, they had justifiable points.

[MOTROIT]

Detroit has had a bid 1944,1952,1956,1960,1964,1968, and 1972. I think a 2020 Detroit bid is not only overdue but needed to help revive this city. It could pull the city from the brink.
We could really use that.

[wolverine]

dc, mentioning regional leaders is a valid point. But what I'm trying to say is the IOC hasn't always been that fair when it comes to passing judgment on the way city or regional governments [[and their partners) run. Any signs of dysfunction or lack of cooperation is a deal breaker. Further more is there is enough private support this? It costs billions, and will definitely go over budget by billions. Who will pay? Is the region willing to spend their tax dollars on this when private contributions fall short?

I wanted the Olympics here in Chicago, but I'd want it even more for Detroit. Don't get me wrong on this whole idea. But alot of what people post on this matter is wishful thinking.

[hudkina]

I think part of the problem is the idea that host cities have to outdo the previous games. China spent billions on the Beijing Games because it wanted to make a statement. Detroit could take a different approach. It could pitch a "green" olympics, i.e. an Olympic Games with the smallest impact on the environment. One that won't cost billions. Metro Detroit is already pushing for a green, sustainable economy. I'm sure by the time 2020 rolls around the city will be known as a leading manufacturer of clean-energy technology. The "storyline" could be that these games will help shed Detroit of its dirty industrial past and strengthen its image as a clean-energy powerhouse.

Already much of the infrastructure is in place. Metro Detroit has dozens of major stadiums and arenas. For example, I would assume that a good chunk of events will be held in Ann Arbor. Michigan Stadium, Crisler Arena, Yost Ice Arena, Cliff Keen Arena, and Canham Natatorium could host such events as soccer, wrestling, weight-lifting, swimming, indoor volleyball, etc. There are also plenty of practice facilities that could be used. Most of these arenas could easily be upgraded/renovated with minimal costs to the university. My only suggestion would be to build a completely new swimming facility to replace Canham Natatorium. It should be larger and more prominent than the university's current facility and could be UM's major contribution to the games. Then you have downtown Detroit with Ford Field, Comerica Park, Joe Louis Arena and Cobo Arena. While Cobo Arena might be gone by 2020, there's a pretty good chance that the Red Wings will be playing in a new stadium by then, so there will still likely be four major downtown venues. Cobo Hall will also likely host some of the smaller events like Taekwondo, Judo and Table Tennis. The only major investments the city would need to make are an appropriate Olympic Stadium and a major tennis facility.

If for whatever reason Windsor is included with the bid, I would suggest building the Olympic Stadium on the Windsor riverfront overlooking the Downtown skyline. Much of the structure would be temporary, but afterwords the facility could be used to host outdoor sporting events, concerts, etc. I think having a "bowl" stadium dominated by green hills on the exterior would be a nice effect. I'm sure that would save a lot of steel that would otherwise go to a temporary facility, and it would also go with the "green" image that the games would be pushing.

That would leave Detroit with having to build a tennis facility. I would think the best spot for that would be on Belle Isle adjacent to Scott Fountain and the Belle Isle Casino. Part of the costs of the facility could be offset by enacting a permanent car entry free to Belle Isle as well as ancillary payments for hosting major tennis events.

Oakland County could use some of its facilities to host major events [[golf, equestrian, basketball, etc.) and even Macomb County could get in with an event or two held at Metro Beach or in Lake St. Clair [[rowing, canoeing, archery, sailing[[?), etc.)

As far as an Olympic Village I think the best option would be to use the large stretch of land between 6th St and the Ambassador Bridge. The city could build highrises, midrises, and townhouses, parks, riverfront walkways, etc. that would then be sold as market-rate and affordable housing after the games. The Renaissance Center would likely act as the media headquarters and Hart Plaza could be transformed into a modern Olympic Plaza.

Metro Detroit has a ton of hotels, though part of the problem is that they are spread out. Detroit will likely have a commuter rail line connecting Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Metro Airport, Dearborn, Downtown, Royal Oak, Birmingham/Troy, and Pontiac before it makes an official bid. It will also likely have a streetcar line running from that commuter line to downtown Detroit as well as a light rail line running up toward 8 Mile. That means that if Detroit officially makes a bid it could use those lines as a base and then extend them from there. For example, extending the streetcar as far east as Belle Isle, extending the light rail as far north as Downtown Royal Oak, and building a streetcar system in Ann Arbor connecting the major venues to the commuter rail station. The region could also build BRT systems along major corridors such as Big Beaver/Metro Parkway [[from the Birmingham/Troy commuter rail station to Metro Beach). Once that system is set up developers could focus on building hotels near the major stops along these transit lines.

In any case, I don't think an Olympic bid is THAT far out of the question for Metro Detroit. While it will take a strong will and regional cooperation, I don't think that is as tough as some of the negative-nancy posters think it is.

[Meddle]

For example, I would assume that a good chunk of events will be held in Ann Arbor.

EXACTLY what should not happen.

[iheartthed]

I think part of the problem is the idea that host cities have to outdo the previous games. China spent billions on the Beijing Games because it wanted to make a statement. Detroit could take a different approach. It could pitch a "green" olympics, i.e. an Olympic Games with the smallest impact on the environment. One that won't cost billions. Metro Detroit is already pushing for a green, sustainable economy. I'm sure by the time 2020 rolls around the city will be known as a leading manufacturer of clean-energy technology. The "storyline" could be that these games will help shed Detroit of its dirty industrial past and strengthen its image as a clean-energy powerhouse.

Already much of the infrastructure is in place. Metro Detroit has dozens of major stadiums and arenas. For example, I would assume that a good chunk of events will be held in Ann Arbor. Michigan Stadium, Crisler Arena, Yost Ice Arena, Cliff Keen Arena, and Canham Natatorium could host such events as soccer, wrestling, weight-lifting, swimming, indoor volleyball, etc. There are also plenty of practice facilities that could be used. Most of these arenas could easily be upgraded/renovated with minimal costs to the university. My only suggestion would be to build a completely new swimming facility to replace Canham Natatorium. It should be larger and more prominent than the university's current facility and could be UM's major contribution to the games. Then you have downtown Detroit with Ford Field, Comerica Park, Joe Louis Arena and Cobo Arena. While Cobo Arena might be gone by 2020, there's a pretty good chance that the Red Wings will be playing in a new stadium by then, so there will still likely be four major downtown venues. Cobo Hall will also likely host some of the smaller events like Taekwondo, Judo and Table Tennis. The only major investments the city would need to make are an appropriate Olympic Stadium and a major tennis facility.

If for whatever reason Windsor is included with the bid, I would suggest building the Olympic Stadium on the Windsor riverfront overlooking the Downtown skyline. Much of the structure would be temporary, but afterwords the facility could be used to host outdoor sporting events, concerts, etc. I think having a "bowl" stadium dominated by green hills on the exterior would be a nice effect. I'm sure that would save a lot of steel that would otherwise go to a temporary facility, and it would also go with the "green" image that the games would be pushing.

That would leave Detroit with having to build a tennis facility. I would think the best spot for that would be on Belle Isle adjacent to Scott Fountain and the Belle Isle Casino. Part of the costs of the facility could be offset by enacting a permanent car entry free to Belle Isle as well as ancillary payments for hosting major tennis events.

Oakland County could use some of its facilities to host major events [[golf, equestrian, basketball, etc.) and even Macomb County could get in with an event or two held at Metro Beach or in Lake St. Clair [[rowing, canoeing, archery, sailing[[?), etc.)

As far as an Olympic Village I think the best option would be to use the large stretch of land between 6th St and the Ambassador Bridge. The city could build highrises, midrises, and townhouses, parks, riverfront walkways, etc. that would then be sold as market-rate and affordable housing after the games. The Renaissance Center would likely act as the media headquarters and Hart Plaza could be transformed into a modern Olympic Plaza.

Metro Detroit has a ton of hotels, though part of the problem is that they are spread out. Detroit will likely have a commuter rail line connecting Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Metro Airport, Dearborn, Downtown, Royal Oak, Birmingham/Troy, and Pontiac before it makes an official bid. It will also likely have a streetcar line running from that commuter line to downtown Detroit as well as a light rail line running up toward 8 Mile. That means that if Detroit officially makes a bid it could use those lines as a base and then extend them from there. For example, extending the streetcar as far east as Belle Isle, extending the light rail as far north as Downtown Royal Oak, and building a streetcar system in Ann Arbor connecting the major venues to the commuter rail station. The region could also build BRT systems along major corridors such as Big Beaver/Metro Parkway [[from the Birmingham/Troy commuter rail station to Metro Beach). Once that system is set up developers could focus on building hotels near the major stops along these transit lines.

In any case, I don't think an Olympic bid is THAT far out of the question for Metro Detroit. While it will take a strong will and regional cooperation, I don't think that is as tough as some of the negative-nancy posters think it is.

I'd also add that some athletic facilities could be built for Wayne State.

[wolverine]

hudkina, I don't disagree with your idea, but it is on the far end of what would ever happen. Keep in mind the decision to even be a candidate city would have to soon. You expect the IOC to change their attitude that quick?

And I don't think people here are negative nancies. Perhaps they are pointing out the problems that need to be resolved to even become a candiate city. Or maybe they have built relationships with the members past bid committees . . . . .

[ckr1968]

Not just city leaders need to get behind a bid, the Governor showed some efforts back in '06 - not sure if this has been dropped altogether, but it'd be interesting to see more work towards a bid.

http://americajr.com/news/detroit-olympics.html

We're not ready but we could be. We've sponsored the SuperBowl and have had more hotels built since then. We've got the sports arena's and an Olympic sized pool at WSU. I think collaborting with the suburbs and Windsor are important.

[hudkina]

hudkina, I don't disagree with your idea, but it is on the far end of what would ever happen. Keep in mind the decision to even be a candidate city would have to soon. You expect the IOC to change their attitude that quick?

Of course it's on the far end. It takes a huge commitment to host the Olympics, both financially and logistically. The 2020 bidding process is still several years away. I'm not sure what attitutde the IOC needs to change in that time, as most IOC members don't have nearly as bad an opinion of the city as the local suburbanites and expatriates...

And I don't think people here are negative nancies. Perhaps they are pointing out the problems that need to be resolved to even become a candiate city. Or maybe they have built relationships with the members past bid committees . . . . .

You're right. Not everyone is a negative nancy. And yes, there's nothing wrong with discussing the city's shortcomings and any financial and logistical roadblock that the region would need to address before hosting a successful Games. But there's also no problem with discussing this as an actual possibility.

[iheartthed]

RIO DE JANEIRO – Brazilian officials are insisting security won't be a problem for the 2016 Olympics despite drug-gang violence that plunged Rio de Janeiro into a day of bloody chaos just two weeks after it was picked to host the games.
An hourslong firefight between rival gangs in one of the city's slums killed at least 12 people, injured six and saw a police helicopter shot down and eight buses set on fire Saturday.
Police said Sunday that they killed two other suspected drug traffickers in overnight clashes near the Morro dos Macacos [["Monkey Hill") slum where the gangs fought for territory a day earlier, but otherwise the area was largely peaceful.
Two officers died and four were injured Saturday when bullets from the gang battle ripped into their helicopter hovering overhead, forcing it into a fiery crash landing on a soccer field. Officials said they did not know if the gangs targeted the helicopter or it was hit by stray bullets.
Gunfire on the ground killed 10 suspected gunmen and wounded two bystanders.
Authorities said the violence would only toughen their resolve to improve security ahead of the Olympics and before 2014, when Brazil will host the World Cup soccer tournament with key games in Rio, the country's second-biggest city.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091018/...razil_violence

[ghettopalmetto]

If Detroiters put as much energy into improving the livability of the city as they did dreaming about bread-and-circuses like casinos, All Star Games, Final Fours, Super Bowls and Olympics, it still might be the Paris of the West.

[bartock]

If Detroiters put as much energy into improving the livability of the city as they did dreaming about bread-and-circuses like casinos, All Star Games, Final Fours, Super Bowls and Olympics, it still might be the Paris of the West.

Amen to this.