Blueprint for Detroit's 2020 Olympic bid

[iheartthed]

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.

Well, we may disagree here but I view the Olympics as a little more than bread-and-circus. To host it would force Detroit to make infrastructure improvements to the city and region. It would also give the region a concrete goal and date of completion for these projects, so that they actually do get off the drawing board. How long have we been talking about a commuter train from Ann Arbor? How long have we been talking about a light rail train down Woodward? And neither project seems any closer to realization than the day I first heard about the projects years ago.

[ghettopalmetto]

Well, we may disagree here but I view the Olympics as a little more than bread-and-circus. To host it would force Detroit to make infrastructure improvements to the city and region. It would also give the region a concrete goal and date of completion for these projects, so that they actually do get off the drawing board. How long have we been talking about a commuter train from Ann Arbor? How long have we been talking about a light rail train down Woodward? And neither project seems any closer to realization than the day I first heard about the projects years ago.

And who would finance those infrastucture projects, in addition to the money-losing Olympics? The same people who aren't financing them now.

Look, Super Bowl XL was touted as some kind of "motivational driving force" that was going to kick everyone's asses in line and get things done. What's happened since?

You don't need Pageantry for Detroit to get off its collective ass and start making smart decisions. You need MOTIVATION. You don't need the Olympics to get these things done--just a collective will and passion to succeed.

[iheartthed]

And who would finance those infrastucture projects, in addition to the money-losing Olympics? The same people who aren't financing them now.

Look, Super Bowl XL was touted as some kind of "motivational driving force" that was going to kick everyone's asses in line and get things done. What's happened since?

You don't need Pageantry for Detroit to get off its collective ass and start making smart decisions. You need MOTIVATION. You don't need the Olympics to get these things done--just a collective will and passion to succeed.

Of course you don't need the Olympics to do these things, but my point is that the Olympics would provide the motivation to achieve these goals. The Detroit region isn't just suffering from a lack of jobs, but a lack of motivation in general.

[kraig]

And who would finance those infrastucture projects, in addition to the money-losing Olympics? The same people who aren't financing them now.

Look, Super Bowl XL was touted as some kind of "motivational driving force" that was going to kick everyone's asses in line and get things done. What's happened since?

You don't need Pageantry for Detroit to get off its collective ass and start making smart decisions. You need MOTIVATION. You don't need the Olympics to get these things done--just a collective will and passion to succeed.

You shouldn't need Pageantry. But let's face it, Detroit is more motivated by Pageantry and the deadlines that come with it than anything else.

[ghettopalmetto]

You want motivation to get things done? Put George Jackson in charge of the effort to improve Detroit. That guy comes up with more artificial and arbitrary deadlines than anyone I've ever seen.

[iheartthed]

You want motivation to get things done? Put George Jackson in charge of the effort to improve Detroit. That guy comes up with more artificial and arbitrary deadlines than anyone I've ever seen.

Except his goals don't seem to be aligned with improving the infrastructure of the city...

And isn't he already in charge of that?

[ghettopalmetto]

Except his goals don't seem to be aligned with improving the infrastructure of the city...

And isn't he already in charge of that?

No. You're confusing Detroit Economic Growth Corporation with Demolition Enrichment & Gifts to Contractors.

[iheartthed]

No. You're confusing Detroit Economic Growth Corporation with Demolition Enrichment & Gifts to Contractors.

Same difference.

[kraig]

The DDA/DEGC did play a role in the River Walk, Campus Martius, Compuware, Ernst & Young and the Book Cadillac amongst other things. They've done more good than bad.

[Danny]

Keep dreaming folks and FAT CHANCE! If Detroit doesn't get regionalization support and break its own political and racial corruption, then this city will NEVER receive a 2020 Summer Olympic bid.

[dcmorrison12]

Keep dreaming folks and FAT CHANCE! If Detroit doesn't get regionalization support and break its own political and racial corruption, then this city will NEVER receive a 2020 Summer Olympic bid.

Woah there, this isn't simply Detroit's problem. It takes two [[or 3) to tango. How immature and selfish is it to say "It's all your fault that everything is the way it is!"


So other regional leaders have been godsends, doing what's best to better the regional relationship? NO!

Three initials will say it all. LBP!

LPB - "Come, move your business out of Detroit and set up shop in Oakland County, the new frontier!"

All the regional leaders need to get their acts together. Detroit is taking huge steps right now, thanks to Bing

[carlscomputers]

I agree with the poster who said that any bid to the IOC for 2020 should be a joint venture between Detroit/Windsor. It would be international, costs & facilities would be shared, etc.

[1KielsonDrive]

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.

It could pull the city from the brink? I thought that was what the Superbowl was supposed to do. The Cobo expansion [[1988). The People Mover. Joe Louis Arena. The Republican National Convention.The Washington Boulevard Trolley. Montreaux Jazz Festival. The Grand Prix. The Popes visit. The Riverwalk. The Book Cadillac. The Casinos. Well.........

[hudkina]

what exactly are you expecting? There was a hell of a lot of improvement leading up to and following the Super Bowl... Campus Martius, the Riverwalk, Washington Blvd, Woodward Ave, Broadway, Cadillac Square, One Kennedy Square, the Book-Cadillac, the Fort Shelby, MGM Grand casino, Greektown casino, Motor City casino, Eastern Market, the Dequindre Cut, Brush Park, Woodbridge Estates, the Kales Building, Midtown condos/apartments, Merchant's Row, etc. While the economy has slowed much of the new development, you can't say the Super Bowl, All Star game, etc. didn't have a positive effect on the city.

The same would be true for an Olympic bid. As the city became more serious about a bid, even more improvements would be completed, the most important of which would be a regional transit system.

And yes everything hasn't been peaches and cream over the past 10 years, but you can't expect to fix 40 years of disinvestment with one event, even if it is the Olympics. However, a successful Games would help to change Detroit's image in the world and especially in the U.S.

[Red Devil]

And yes everything hasn't been peaches and cream over the past 10 years, but you can't expect to fix 40 years of disinvestment with one event, even if it is the Olympics. However, a successful Games would help to change Detroit's image in the world and especially in the U.S.

You're absolutely right. Detroit hosting a successful Olympics would change its image in a way that would be completely awesome. Me pulling off a threesome with Megan Fox and Beyonce would be totally awesome too. Neither event is likely going to happen. Let's think of something more practical.

[ghettopalmetto]

what exactly are you expecting? There was a hell of a lot of improvement leading up to and following the Super Bowl... Campus Martius, the Riverwalk, Washington Blvd, Woodward Ave, Broadway, Cadillac Square, One Kennedy Square, the Book-Cadillac, the Fort Shelby, MGM Grand casino, Greektown casino, Motor City casino, Eastern Market, the Dequindre Cut, Brush Park, Woodbridge Estates, the Kales Building, Midtown condos/apartments, Merchant's Row, etc. While the economy has slowed much of the new development, you can't say the Super Bowl, All Star game, etc. didn't have a positive effect on the city.

cor·re·la·tion
Pronunciation: \ˌkȯr-ə-ˈlā-shən, ˌkär-\
Function: noun
Etymology: Medieval Latin correlation-, correlatio, from Latin com- + relation-, relatio relation
Date: 1561
1 : the state or relation of being correlated; specifically : a relation existing between phenomena or things or between mathematical or statistical variables which tend to vary, be associated, or occur together in a way not expected on the basis of chance alone <the obviously high positive correlation between scholastic aptitude and college entrance — J. B. Conant>
2 : the act of correlating
— cor·re·la·tion·al \-shnəl, -shə-nəl\ adjective


cau·sa·tion
Pronunciation: \kȯ-ˈzā-shən\
Function: noun
Date: 1615
1 a : the act or process of causing b : the act or agency which produces an effect
2 : causality


co·in·ci·dence
Pronunciation: \kō-ˈin[[t)-sə-dən[[t)s, -sə-ˌden[[t)s\
Function: noun
Date: 1605
1 : the act or condition of coinciding : correspondence
2 : the occurrence of events that happen at the same time by accident but seem to have some connection; also : any of these occurrences


You don't need to host the Olympics to build a transit system, hudkina. It's lazy to think that only occasional Big Events can provide the impetus to get people off their asses to get things done.

[bailey]

You don't need to host the Olympics to build a transit system, hudkina. It's lazy to think that only occasional Big Events can provide the impetus to get people off their asses to get things done.

True, Houston might beg to differ...Phoenix [[where less than 30% of it's riders use it to commute to work) might too, but probably the exceptions that make the rule. There may not be a "need" for big events to drive change, but they help. Further, more importantly big events loosen purse strings and provide a goal. And what is needed here is billions of dollars and regional stakeholders to buy in. Neither of which are likely in a state that is effectively bankrupt and region with a long list of more pressing and immediate issues.

[hudkina]

You don't need to host the Olympics to build a transit system, hudkina. It's lazy to think that only occasional Big Events can provide the impetus to get people off their asses to get things done.

I never said that Detroit needs to host the Olympics to build a transit system. In fact Detroit will likely have a decent system in place before the city would even make a bid for the Olympics. However, hosting the occasional "Big Event" DOES provide the impetus to get people off their asses to get things done. For example, an Olympic Games will drive hotel companies to build more rooms in the region. Does that mean that someone will come along and redevelop the David Whitney Building into a 400 room hotel? Some events will likely be held on Belle Isle. Does that mean that the city will extend the streetcar line from downtown to Belle Isle? An Olympic Village will need to be built to house the thousands of participants in the Games, does that mean the city will build an Olympic Village on the Riverfront that will then be turned into a mixed-use residential neighborhood? Olympic visitors will need safe, reliable transportation to get around. Does that mean that the region will finally create a single regional transit authority with dedicated regional funding? Hundreds of thousands of people will likely need to get to and from the airport with relative ease. Does that mean that we'll see the proposed tram system connecting the Metro Airport area to regional transit lines?

Sure the region can do all of these things without the ultimate goal of hosting an Olympic Games, however they would be far more likely to happen under the auspices of an Olympic bid. And also the biggest reason for hosting an Olympic Games isn't to spearhead these developments, but rather to change the city's standing and image on the national and international stage.

[ghettopalmetto]

Sure the region can do all of these things without the ultimate goal of hosting an Olympic Games, however they would be far more likely to happen under the auspices of an Olympic bid. And also the biggest reason for hosting an Olympic Games isn't to spearhead these developments, but rather to change the city's standing and image on the national and international stage.

Who cares about IMAGE if the fundamentals are broken? Do you think Parisians really give half a shit about Atlanta???

Unless, of course, you're the kind of guy who prefers the Trophy Wife over the one who can actually cook, hold a conversation, and raise children.

Image comes from substance, the way stock prices used to come from strong business fundamentals. You can't manufacture an image for Detroit that means a damned thing if the underlying reality is also manufactured. Cities are built with bricks and mortar, not PR.

[Bobl]

I see other priorities, and ask:

Why would we want the Olympics?
Who would pay for it?
Who would profit?
How would the average working [[if jobs return) family be affected?

[EastsideAl]

An Olympics would contribute next to nothing towards addressing Detroit's most pressing problem: the lack of an economy and the long-term job growth that goes with it.

[hudkina]

Who cares about IMAGE if the fundamentals are broken? Do you think Parisians really give half a shit about Atlanta???

Unless, of course, you're the kind of guy who prefers the Trophy Wife over the one who can actually cook, hold a conversation, and raise children.

Image comes from substance, the way stock prices used to come from strong business fundamentals. You can't manufacture an image for Detroit that means a damned thing if the underlying reality is also manufactured. Cities are built with bricks and mortar, not PR.

Image is EVERYTHING. For example, did you know that if Detroit expanded its boundaries to the size of Houston it would actually have a LOWER murder rate than Houston? Did you know that Las Vegas and Orlando have some of the highest crime rates in the U.S.? Those cities are judged by the BEST of what they have to offer. Detroit is judged by the WORST it has to offer. Regardless of any wholesale social/cultural changes, even highlighting the upside of the Detroit region would do wonders for the city's image.

The entire region is hurt by Detroit's national image. People visiting the suburbs wonder about their safety. They talk about the 25%+ unemployment rate as if it encompasses the entire region. Ptospective employers don't come here because they feel they would have a hard time attracting qualified employees. Detroit can't get tourists to visit regional attractions because people associate crime and misery with the city. Metro Detroit can't get major conventions because planners fear for their safety or think there's nothing to do.

And yes, the city does need to reduce crime, stop inner-city population loss, reign in government spending, reform education, and make the city a more attractive place for business. Those acts will go further in repairing the city's image than ten Olympic Games, but keep in mind that those are things that just about every major city deals with. No city is devoid of crime. No city is the most economically competetive area of its metro. No city is perfect.

Also while the local news wants you to think times are terrible so you'll feel bad about yourself and buy the products featured in the advertisements that pay for the tv stations' bills, the truth is that there will be a point where the economy will turn around. Right now the domestic auto industry is beginning to recover from a near-death experience. For all we know 2020 will be the year that GM and Ford are posting $10+ billion profits. For all we know Metro Detroit's unemployment rate will be back below 5%. For all we know home values will be higher than they've ever been. For all we know metro city coffers will be flush with property tax dollars. You can't assume that because the region is currently in an economic crunch that it will be like that forever. There will be a time when Metro Detroit will be a better than average metro...

[wolverine]

Why do people keep saying by 2020 this will happen. That's irrelevant. You have to sell your city within the next couple of years

[jtw]

This is one of the most ridiculous threads I've ever read here.

[hudkina]

Why do people keep saying by 2020 this will happen. That's irrelevant. You have to sell your city within the next couple of years

The host city will be selected in 2013 with the bidding process opening up the year prior. That means that if regional leaders decide to go for it, they have nearly two years to create a plan.