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The Olympics in Columbus?

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Started 10 months ago by 6a
Latest reply from Pickerington_Kyle

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6a
Westgate
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I ran across a site a few days ago laying out a case for Boston hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics. Sure, it's a case of Olympic fever, but I wondered "why not us?" Then I set about a lazy afternoon dissecting their proposal. Before we get started, I know we don't have real transit and that is bad and we suck for it...but...hear me out and have a little mindless fun.

Here are their proposed venues, in quotes with capacity, followed by my back of the napkin Columbus equivalents.

Opening/closing ceremonies: Fenway Park: 37,495

Ohio Stadium: 102,329. Yeah, it's big but hey

Short track: Matthews Arena: 4700

Fairgrounds Coliseum: 7000

Curling: Walter Brown Arena: 3800

OSU Ice Rink: 1400 (OK, put ice under St. John...)

Medal Ceremonies: Boston Common: 50 acres

Franklin Park: 88? acres

Figure Skating: TD Garden: 18000

The Schott: 19000

Hockey: Agganis Arena: 7200

Nationwide: 18000

Media center: Boston Convention & Exhibition Center: 500,000 Sq Ft

Columbus Convention Center 426.000 sq ft.

That leaves the alpine events. I would imagine a combo of WV and Mad River Mountain or something.

So seriously, aside from the transit thing (which I suppose we could pull a Salt Lake if needed) and the alpine events I have no idea about, why couldn't we do something like this?

Posted 10 months ago #
NEOBuckeye
Ohio At-Large
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Short of a major mountain range and a climate reliably conducive to winter sports, Columbus will never be taken as a serious, legitimate contender for the Winter Olympics. I'm not sure if Boston/New England even has that much more going for it, honestly.

Now the Summer Olympics on the other hand, I think are entirely doable here for many of the venues/spaces you cite (The Arnold Classic being a prime selling point on coordination of events and venues).

My question is whether Columbus or the Cincinnati-Dayton region can land them first for Ohio and the Midwest. Chicago could also toss their hat back into the ring at some point, too.

Posted 10 months ago #
Pickerington_Kyle

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simple, we don't have public transportation. Imagine an extra 100,000 + people in our city. Total traffic night mare.

Posted 10 months ago #
Pickerington_Kyle

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also, we have a better chance of hosting the summer Olympics. We already almost have all the stadiums other than the tennis courts (Cincinnati) and major lake. Also, Ohio State's dorms could easily be Olympic Village.

Posted 10 months ago #
NerosNeptune
Goodale Park
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Uh,, why would the put the winter olympics in a flat city that is hundreds of miles from *foothills*? The athletes would have to fly to a decent mountain from here.

Posted 10 months ago #
RBloodworth
Baja Beechwold
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NEOBuckeye said:
Short of a major mountain range and a climate reliably conducive to winter sports, Columbus will never be taken as a serious, legitimate contender for the Winter Olympics. I'm not sure if Boston/New England even has that much more going for it, honestly.

This. We're way too far away from a mountain range that can provide an Olympic-quality skiing course for us to ever host the Winter Games (and no, Mad River doesn't count). I disagree with you on Boston, though. There are plenty of quality ranges in New Hampshire that are within a reasonable distance from the city (certainly closer than we are to WV), and Boston is definitely more conducive to managing the kinds of crowds that would come with an event such as the Olympics.

Look, I love my city as much as the next guy, but let's get real on us ever hosting the Olympics- Winter or Summer. We just don't have the infrastructure, nor the experience with hosting such a massive endeavor for us to ever pull it off. The best we can hope for is if another city in the region- Chicago, for example- were to host the Summer Games, and we could host a qualifying-round soccer or basketball game. I like thinking big, but you also have to be realistic.

Posted 10 months ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown / Gay Street
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Why Hosting the Olympics Is Bad for Cities
ANDREW ZIMBALISTJUL 24, 2012

Of all the hype surrounding the Olympics, some of the biggest tends to be economic. The event is often billed as a boon to business for its host city - a two-week burst of tourism and valuable television time, as well as a spur for much needed infrastructure investment. But is it true? Do countries really gain from organizing the Olympic Games?

READ MORE: http://www.theatlanticcities.com/politics/2012/07/why-hosting-olympics-bad-cities/2689/

Posted 10 months ago #
Rockmastermike
The Bacon District
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Walker said:

READ MORE: http://www.theatlanticcities.com/politics/2012/07/why-hosting-olympics-bad-cities/2689/

+1

Shopkeepers in London are now reporting sales are absolutely in the toilet for this month. The only people who make money from this are on the IOC.

Posted 10 months ago #
JeepGirl

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Not so golden.

With the London Olympics set to wrap up Sunday, analysts said Britain's recession-hit economy was unlikely to have won a major boost from the Games that have been a triumph for the nation's athletes.

While Britain's construction sector benefited hugely before the Olympics, experts have said the 17-day sporting spectacle had not delivered significant financial rewards and neither was it expected to in the months and years ahead.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/economy-struggles-secure-golden-olympics-boost-035332550--oly.html

Posted 10 months ago #
NEOBuckeye
Ohio At-Large
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The perception of the Olympic Games is that they are the equivalent of a massive economic stimulus for the lucky city that earns them, not to mention a massive global public profile booster that probably has some lasting effect beyond their two week run. I suspect this latter point is somewhat more true for the summer olympics than winter.

I think they are probably best regarded as a regional economic and infrastructual development strategy target, rather than an economic development strategy in and of itself. In other words, if Columbus were aiming to host, say, the 2032 Summer Olympics, what kinds of infrastructual improvements would the city-region need to make over the next 20 years to effectively become a world-class city as well as an olympic city candidate?

Posted 10 months ago #
6a
Westgate
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Right, even Boston is saying the games would be to boost infrastructure. Salt Lake didn't have any real rail service going into the bid.

So maybe the summer games are a better fit, even if you use WV for the skiing. Hell, Atlanta held the canoe events in Tennessee.

Posted 10 months ago #
Rockmastermike
The Bacon District
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6a said:

So maybe the summer games are a better fit, even if you use WV for the skiing. Hell, Atlanta held the canoe events in Tennessee.

Naw, we can do whitewater too. Just send 'em over the griggs dam.

In all seriousness I see the point about infrastructure improvements, But what would be needed here would be likely well beyond what anyone is even willing to allow given what I think is the bias against infrastructure spending here.

Posted 10 months ago #
6a
Westgate
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Rockmastermike said:
bias against infrastructure spending here.

And that is the continually frustrating part about this city. I know I'm preaching to the choir here but there is *so much* going for us lately and there is almost a habitual refusal to do anything to better the place unless it's absolutely forced. People bitched about tearing down City Center, then they bitched about making it a park, then they bitched the sound wasn't perfect, then they bitched about putting up apartments. I remember going on a ride-along with the police on the overnight shift in the old short north/arena area before it was redeveloped...there were some seriously scary places, yet there are still people who think leaving it alone was the best choice and the area is still a huge waste of money.

Posted 10 months ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown / Gay Street
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6a said:
People bitched about tearing down City Center, then they bitched about making it a park, then they bitched the sound wasn't perfect, then they bitched about putting up apartments.

Complainers live in every city. Nothing unique to Columbus.

Posted 10 months ago #
Rockmastermike
The Bacon District
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Walker said:
Complainers live in every city. Nothing unique to Columbus.

Correct. And if the twitterverse/blogosphere/facebookcesspit are any indication, those who bitch and whine are the voices who receive the most attention.

Posted 10 months ago #
myliftkk
Columbus, OH
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Rockmastermike said:
Naw, we can do whitewater too. Just send 'em over the griggs dam.

In all seriousness I see the point about infrastructure improvements, But what would be needed here would be likely well beyond what anyone is even willing to allow given what I think is the bias against infrastructure spending here.

So if we host the Games, then the choo choo will come?

Posted 10 months ago #
CalebR
Lincoln Village
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It might be good for Columbus, much needed national attention and some pressure to start infrastructure improvements. Hopefully the split fix is done by then :D

Posted 10 months ago #
News
Columbus Underground
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Could the Olympics Come to Columbus?
Updated: Wednesday, February 20 2013, 04:09 PM EST

COLUMBUS - Is Columbus interested in playing host to the 2024 Olympic Games? That's what the U.S. Olympic Committee wants to know. Columbus is one of 35 cities across the country to get a letter to gauge interest in making a bid for the 2024 Games, even though the U.S.O.C. hasn't even decided if it even wants to host those games in the U.S. ABC6 called City Hall for reaction, but all we got was a confirmation that they received the letter yesterday.

READ MORE: http://www.myfox28columbus.com/shared/news/features/top-stories/stories/wsyx_could-olympics-come-columbus-22416.shtml

Posted 3 months ago #
geoyui
West Side
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The list of requirements is steep. The predicted operating budget would exceed $3 billion. Cities must also construct an Olympic Village to house 16,500 athletes and provide working space for 15,000 news media members. An extensive train and bus transportation network is also required. The host city must also provide a workforce of 200,000 for the Games.

so close ...

Posted 3 months ago #
bjones7
Worthington Ohio
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Wow what a LONG SHOT! : http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/morning_call/2013/02/us-olympic-committee-asks-charlotte.html

Cincinnati or Cleveland are more likely to get the Olympics and have Columbus host a couple of events I would think?

Posted 3 months ago #