Olympic Games could show world the best of Chicago
The city's bid, which calls for a temporary stadium in Washington Park on the South Side and an Olympic Village near McCormick Place, is now in the hands of the U.S. Olympic Committee, which is expected to decide between Chicago and Los Angeles in mid-April. Whichever city wins that race will then have the full U.S. backing in an international competition that will include such heavyweight cities as Tokyo, Madrid and Rio de Janiero. The final decision is expected in 2009.
There is much that could go wrong were Chicago to win the right to host the games. Topping that list are cost overruns, terrorism concerns, congestion and corruption. None of those are fatal flaws, and none are unique to Chicago, though cynics will point to our uniquely colorful history of graft. It will take scrupulous leadership and painstaking, focused organization to carry it off. But if done right -- and it can be done right, as most recent Olympics have shown -- the games could be a transforming event for Chicago, in ways big and small.
That's the main reason the business community is so solidly behind Daley's proposal. Estimates of the economic impact of the games should be taken with a grain of salt, especially this early in the game. But the Olympics could potentially add billions of dollars to the regional economy. Think of the thousands of jobs that will be created in both the construction and service industry, the hotel rooms and restaurants that will be filled, the tourists who will follow in the years after the event. Think of the infrastructure that will be improved or added, which will stay with us long after the games are over.
And then there's the impact on Chicago's image. Chicago, of course, doesn't need to be put on the map. It's already a world-class city on a beautiful lake, with a rich history, stunning architecture, a vibrant heart. But there is some truth to Daley's claim that Chicago is still perceived in some corners of the globe as the realm of Al Capone. The games could give Chicago the global reputation that we know it already deserves.
Chicago isn't the safe choice in the domestic race for the games. We'll concede that edge to L.A., which has hosted the games twice and not only has the venues in place but has proved it can successfully, and profitably, host the global event. But that's all Chicago should concede to our West Coast rival. Chicago is the fresh choice, the forward-looking choice, the bold choice that would put a different face of America on display for the rest of the world.