Boston will not bid on 2024 Olympics if residents are opposed
The committee behind Boston’s potential bid for the 2024 Olympics said it will not proceed without support from residents, Jon Chesto and John R. Ellement of The Boston Globereport.
Private group Boston 2024 announced on Tuesday that it wants a statewide referendum in November 2016 on whether Boston should host the Summer Games.
Chairman John Fish said he wants the state to vote on the issue to ensure the bid has support locally.
"All we ask is an opportunity to have a constructive dialogue with everybody in the commonwealth … of how these games, the Olympic and Paralympic games, can benefit our community," he said.
• USOC selects Boston to bid for 2024 Olympics
In January, the United States Olympic Committee selected Boston over Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., as the country’s candidate to bid on the 2024 Olympics. A poll found that 55% of Massachusetts residents supported the city’s bid.
The bid has been supported by politicians and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. The group No Boston Olympics has argued the money would be better spent on "health care, education and core transportation."
Boston mayor Marty Walsh said he was optimistic of the city’s chances, but said the financial model needs to make sense before moving forward.
The 2016 Olympics will be held in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo will host the 2020 Summer Games. The IOC will select the host for the 2024 Olympics sometime in 2017.
- Paul Palladino
