The Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce is about to host a debate discussing the pros and cons of Boston winning its bid to host the 2024 Olympics Games. The debate will be held as two separate functions, and is intended to discuss the possible implications for Worcester should Boston become the host city.
Representatives from the Boston 2024 Partnership, sponsors for the bid to bring the Olympics to Massachusetts, as well as their opponents, No Boston Olympics, will present their arguments to chamber members. This debate will address the potential impacts of Boston becoming the host city and Worcester’s potential level of involvement should that occur.
The discussion will begin on Tuesday, March 10, with opening statements from Richard Davey, former state transportation secretary and CEO of the Boston 2024 Partnership group. He will be discussing the partnership’s plan to run a cost-effective event using private funds, existing facilities and temporary venues. He will also discuss the organization’s belief that hosting the Olympics will greatly contribute to the commonwealth’s long-term growth.
On Friday, March 13, the debate will continue with statements from Chris Dempsey and Kelley Gossett, co-chairs of No Boston Olympics. The group believes that a pattern of overspending, years of construction, and few proven economic benefits for past host cities, make hosting an undesirable choice for Boston. They will discuss their view that the state should maintain its budgetary focus on schools and rebuilding transportation infrastructure.
A first time bidder in the Olympics, Boston beat out other major cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington D.C. to become the official U.S. entrant. While its bid is heavily dependent on the use of existing facilities such as Gillette Stadium and the TD Garden, several venues would have to be constructed before Boston could host an international event on the scale of the Olympics. This list would have to include – at a minimum – a temporary stadium able to seat more than 60,000, a velodrome, and an aquatics center.
Boston’s bid was privately funded by the Suffolk Construction Company, and has continued to gather more than $11 million in private funds.
Unfortunately, attendance for these debates is restricted to Chamber members only and will not be open to public. If you are unable to attend, watch this space for further details as they become public after the debates.
