Study: Boston's Olympics bid had areas of risk
Plans to enlist private developers to construct an athlete's village and new "Midtown" neighborhood that would become home to a temporary Olympic stadium created the "biggest sources of risk" in Boston's now kaput bid to host the 2024 summer games, an analysis done for the state by The Brattle Group found.
The independent report, released on Tuesday by the Baker administration, also found that necessary infrastructure improvement expenses, including power and signal upgrades on the MBTA and a new bus facility, may have been underestimated in Boston 2024's projections for the games.
"Even though the bid was withdrawn, this report demonstrates that there were a series of real risks associated with bringing the games to Massachusetts," Senate President Stanley Rosenberg said in a statement.
The United States Olympic Committee decided in July amid flagging public support to pull Boston's bid to be the nation's representative in the international competition to host to the 2024 Summer Games. Political leaders at the time, including Gov. Charlie Baker, were withholding their support for the bid until they could read the analysis being prepared by the Cambridge-based Brattle Group.
Though the findings of the Brattle Group may be moot now, Baker, Rosenberg and House Speaker Robert DeLeo said the report could still have value as civic leaders consider future plans for development and transportation upgrades in the city.
"The Brattle Group’s report will serve as a resource as we continue our focus on stimulating the economy and improving our transportation system while protecting Massachusetts’ taxpayers," DeLeo said in a statement.
The Brattle Group was paid $250,000 to produce the analysis.
WBJ Web Partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments