Deja Vu - Chicago Reader Style

Way back in the beginning of December '08, we at Sloopin took issue with the Chicago Readers cynical, sarcastic and skeptical take on Chicago's Olympic bid. With that said, today we had a moment of Deja Vu!

As we went through the latest article the same tone was taken. Everything is negative in regard to the Olympics...nothing positive could possibly come from them...or at least that's the way it sounded to us. Anyway, if you're interested in monitoring the comments on today's article here it is; I'm sure we're going to provoke some backlash from the cynics.

Sloopin's comment:

What a surprise...the Reader takes a cynical approach again. You don't trust Chicago's politicians and government; we get it, yada yada yada.

The things that you seem to overlook are many of the positives the Olympics can bring. Like it or not, Chicago remains a city that is often overlooked globally despite its world class characteristics. The Olympics provide a platform that allows the city to showcase itself globally to billions of people (honestly, you can’t put a price on that promotion…ask Barcelona). Not only will this help tourism, it most importantly will help attract regional, domestic and global businesses that will continue to fuel our economy which in turn will provide more money for the issues you raise (potholes, CTA issues, schools, police). Let’s also not forget that the Olympics are a time for the country to shine as well. With that said, I would expect federal funding to increase and fast track a lot of infrastructure improvement projects throughout the city and the region. That’s a huge ‘long-term’ benefit that normally would take decades to come to fruition.

Yes, your skepticism is warranted in some regard, however, in my opinion the positives outweigh the negatives of the bid (but your readers won’t have a chance to evaluate on their own since you don’t state them anywhere in this article). Look, Chicago isn’t perfect, we know. As I like to remind people, no one is holding a gun to your head saying ‘you must live in Chicago’. If you don’t like it, move to the suburbs or maybe your Utopian ‘city’ in Montana where potholes and public transportation don’t exist and the only thing they’re murdering is cattle.

Local Scandals and the 2016 Bid

Whenever something controversial happens in Chicago these days, people are quick to question the effects it will have on the cities Olympic bid. Whether it's Blagojevich's recent exploits, the CTA's budget issues or a man dying at the Chicago Marathon two years ago cynics are quick to pounce on these issues.

The Chicago Tribune has a great opinion piece today putting these local 'controversies' in context as compared to other Olympic scandals:

If the International Olympic Committee can see fit to have the Summer Games take place in Germany while Adolf Hitler is dictator, it's hard to believe the latest Illinois gubernatorial dust-up registers on its radar screen.

The Nazis had risen to power in 1931, when the event was awarded to Germany, and subsequent years leading to 1936 saw Hitler illegally—and publicly—declare the Treaty of Versailles void, books burned, anti-Jewish laws codified, Dachau opened, and, just for good measure, the Rhineland invaded by his troops and reclaimed.

The article goes on to cite additional examples where major global controversies accompanied the Olympics in Moscow, Motreal, Seoul and most recently Beijing.

Although we don't want you to think we're minimizing the importance of our local scandals, in all honesty they're probably not big enough (from a global standpoint) to influence the Olympic bidding process. I wonder how many IOC members even know who Blagojevich is?

Federal Funding for the Olympics

Jack G recently directed us to this old but relevant article from the New York Times circa 1999. The article talks about federal spending associated with the Olympics. Obviously this is relevant for us to consider as Chicago's bid for the 2016 games progresses.

From what we've read, the federal government is on tap to pay for the security if the games come to Chicago. This no doubt will be a lot of money given the size of Chicago and awareness of security post 9-11. The story states that the most recent American games in Salt Lake City, the first after 9-11, cost the federal government upwards of $200 million. Compare that with the '96 Atlanta games ($92 million for security) and the '84 Los Angeles games ($68 million) and it's easy to assume that the cost of security for Chicago could potentially be twice as much as the Salt Lake City games.

However, the biggest federal expense might come from new infrastructure projects that are sped up due to the Olympics. Olympic loyalists argue that this would happen eventually, but given the stage the Olympics provide enables these projects to be greenlighted quicker.

Our guess is that long term CTA, Metra and highway projects that are on the table but currently 'unfunded' could fall into this category. We hope so, because right now the current Olympic transportation plan for Chicago is pretty unimpressive.

The Metra and The Olympic Village Stop Question?

Ok, by our calculations it seems like the bid team intentionally left out the fact that there is a 27th street Metra stop right by the proposed Olympic Village. Why would they do this? We thought it provided them a great opportunity to connect the Olympic Village to the rest of the city with Mass Rail Transit.
From our calculations, there really are not many close CTA stops to the proposed Olympic Village (see chart below). The closest Red Line stop is the Chinatown stop which is approximately 1.5 Miles away. The closest Green Line stop is also about 1.5 miles away. So the CTA really won't be accessible to the Olympic Village.
So this leaves the Metra, which literally stops at the proposed Olympic Village. Let's also not forget that the Metra stops at McCormick Place and 18th street (both places that are either at or very close to proposed venues). So again why would they leave these off their maps? Are they hiding something? It's weird because they put random CTA stops on the map, but leave out major Metra stops that could actually affect the bid.

Not sure the reasoning, but the only logical explanation would be security concerns. Do the Athlete's only use buses? I imagine they do when they're going to venues to practice and compete, but when they're done wouldn't it be good if they could jump on a train and enjoy the real CHICAGO culture!

Just a thought on our part...can you think of any other reasons?

First Take on the 'Final' Chicago Bid

Let's be honest, it's impossible to sort through the 500+ pages of bid information quickly. However, as I thumbed through the plan, the venue portion (volume 2) did impress me. The 'Olympic Waterfront' cluster, which is centered around Grant Park, Museum Campus, McCormick Place and the new proposed Olympic Village, would truly be spectacular and showcase some of the most beautiful areas of our city to the entire world.
However, the biggest disappointment has to be the Transportation plan. Our hope, as well as many other people judging by the comments on this article on chicagotribune.com, was that the Olympics could serve as a spring board for the City, State and Federal governments to invest and upgrade our decrepit CTA. Anyone living in Chicago knows upgrades are desperately needed!

We were hoping for some new lines (maybe the circle line project) or something connecting the Olympic Village to the rest of the CTA. Amazingly this doesn't exist. I think it goes without saying that the Olympics would bring funding for the CTA, but right now it looks like it would solely be used to upgrade the existing system; which is needed but not the scale we were hoping for.

However, 2016 is a lonnnnnnnng time away! If Chicago gets the Olympics it wouldn't surprise me if the transportation plan changes (remember Chicago and the US are all about CHANGE these days thanks to Obama). I know it would cost a lot to expand the CTA, but we see this as an opportunity Chicago can't pass up.

More Olympic thoughts to come as we continue to read, listen and digest all that is the 2016 Olympic bidding process...

Happy 2016 Olympic Bid Submission Day!

Well technically it was yesterday, but the public finally gets to see all of the cities plans. It's a ton of information and there is no way we will be able to go through it all, however as we see interesting stuff we will try to post it.

So far I've spent the most time on Tokyo's bid. First thoughts...wow this city looks amazing. I guess I already knew that, but still always impresses me. Here is a cool picture from the proposed Olympic Village for Tokyo's bid. Pretty cool view of the Tokyo harbor if you ask me:

Chicago Mass Transit Doesn't Stack Up

A great article and video on Medill's website comparing Chicago's transit system to Madrid's and Tokyo's. Based on the video it's pretty clear that Chicago doesn't stack up to either of these transit systems. Tokyo's system simply looks amazing!

The fact of the matters is that Chicago has the second largest mass transit system in the United States (behind New York). However, compared to many foreign cities it's pretty weak. Hopefully our new president can help change this trend, but Americans love their cars...

Chicago the Favorite?

According to this article by BBC Sport, Chicago is the current favorite for the 2016 Olympics:

Chicago: 11/10 odds
Madrid: 15/2 odds
Rio: 5/2 odds
Tokyo: 3/1 odds

The article also does a great job of quickly summing up each bids premise, pros and cons. They also have audio interviews with representatives of each bid talking about their respective games.

Yesterday I mentioned that Tokyo and Chicago have very similar bids in regards to 'Compactness'. One thing this article points out is that Chicago's bid is compact but also at the center of the city (which according to the interview is unique for a bid). Tokyo's bid is also compact but isn't in the heart of the city. It's in a run down, industrial portion of Tokyo that would be part of an urban revitalization (very similar to what London is doing for their games in 2012).

Lots of Olympic Information Floating Around

It's a big week for the 2016 Bid Cities! The final bid books are due to the IOC this Friday, February 13th. With that said, there are a lot of articles talking about each cities respective bids. So here are a couple links and our take on each one:

Chicago, Tokyo, Madrid and Rio in race for the 2016 Olympics - The Times UK
Claims Chicago is the front-runner (which is being said in many other articles). Mentions Barack Obama as a big wild card and goes on to say:

Olympic insiders say the new American president need only show up for the IOC vote in Copenhagen in October and Chicago will sweep aside rivals Tokyo, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro.

If that's the case, it looks good for Chicago since all indications we've read state that he will be in Denmark, schmoozing with the IOC.

Tokyo aiming to woo 2016 Olympics with vow to use 'green energy' - Japan Today
The more we read about Tokyo's bid the more it sounds similar to Chicago's. Both tout their compactness and efforts to provide a 'green' and 'sustainable' games. The problem for Chicago...Tokyo's bid seems to do address both attributes better. The problem for Tokyo...the 2008 games were in Beijing. Will the IOC want to go back to an Asian city so quickly?

Let the 'Games' Begin - Forbes
Surprise, surprise, the conservative magazine Forbes warns of the monetary issues associated with putting on the games. The article brings up many issues that are often cited by Olympic cynics. Prime examples are the next two scheduled Olympics in Vancouver (2010) and London (2012) which are both running into big issues as their projected costs skyrocket (mostly due to the current climate of the economy).

"Safest Choice" Madrid 2016 Presents Bid to IOC - Gamesbid.com
First we've heard this designation, but if it's true it probably is good for Madrid given the current world economy. Main problem for Madrid? The summer games will be in London in 2012. Again, will the IOC want back-to-back summer games in Europe?

Racism could compromise Madrid's bid for Olympics and World Cup - The Canadian Press
Wow, this is a pretty amazing article. Although we're not naive enough to think racism doesn't occur, it's pretty remarkable how prevalent this article makes it seem in Madrid. Will this seriously jeopardize the bid? We will see...

Support for Chicago Olympics tempered by opposition to using taxes for games - Chicago Tribune
According to a poll by the Chicago Tribune, it seems as if residents have cooled on the bid a little bit. 64% support the bid, while 28% oppose it. However, 75% say they oppose using tax payer dollars to fund the bid. Given the economy this isn't a surprise. Also, Mayor Daley has also said no tax payer dollars would be used. Will this happen? Our guess is no...we still support the Olympics, however we realize tax payers will probably have to foot a piece of the bill.

560 Pages of Olympics

If you've been following the Olympic Bid process then this news probably isn't surprising, but the Chicago 2016 Olympic Bid Team has officially sent in their final applicant bid book to the IOC.

Although it hasn't been released to the public, we should be able to look at it sometime next week according to team officials. I'm sure it will be 560 pages of fun!

White Elephants at the Olympics

If you have ever watched the Olympics (especially the summer games) you have probably been amazed at the unique and innovative architectural designs that they produce. Two perfect examples of this phenomenon are the Olympic stadiums at the last two summer games in Beijing and Athens.

Although no one would argue that these stadiums are truly remarkable and served as a spectacular site for the Olympics, the question is what happens to these stadiums after the Olympics?

A recent article from Indiana State University begins to address some of the issues. The main point is not only did these structures cost millions to create, but they leave behind gigantic 80,000+ stadiums that often aren't conducive to hosting any other 'lower' profile events. Besides that point, to keep a structure like this pristine involves costly and meticulous maintenance that usually isn't worth the cost.

Smart planning can help alleviate some of these problems. A couple good examples of this are the Atlanta (1996) and LA (1984) Olympics. In Atlanta, their local baseball team, the Braves, got a new home once the Olympics left town. In LA, they actually renovated an existing stadium to accommodate the 1984 Olympics. Today it's the setting for USC football, other various events and a proposed home of an NFL franchise (if one ever returns to LA).

From those two examples it's pretty clear that if you can get a permanent resident for the stadium, you could solve this problem. However, the Chicago 2016 bid proposes a new model to avoid this 'White Elephant' conundrum. Chicago plans to build a temporary Olympic stadium that will eventually be condensed into a 10,000 seat amphitheater for concerts and other events. The idea is that it would produce a venue that's aligned with community needs as opposed to a huge permanent structure that isn't needed (aka a 'white elephant').

Although this approach has garnered praise from a variety of sources (including the president of the IOC), it does pose one problem; The IOC encourages and grades applicant cities on the legacy the games leave behind. Would this approach minimize the Olympic legacy if Chicago is awarded the 2016 games?

We will leave that question for the IOC to ponder, but in the mean time it's refreshing to know that Chicago most likely won't have to deal with a new 'White Elephant' within the city limits.

Does the Chicago Spire depend on the Olympics?

Although we realize that the Spire isn't technically in Sloopin's jurisdiction, it's probably the best and highest profile gauge on Chicago's real estate market. Two years ago all systems were go. The largest propose building in North America was under construction, a new icon would be added to Chicago's legendary skyline, and surprisingly to some sales at the Spire seemed to be doing well.
However, times changed, the bubble burst and today we're left looking at a gigantic 7 story hole at one of Chicago's most high profile and important pieces of land (at the intersection of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan).

According to a recent article in the New York Times, the Spire is on hold (which is obvious if you drive by the site). Most people probably read the writing between the lines an infer that this project is dead. However, according to Garret Kelleher (the developer) it's not over. At this juncture, Sloopin's going to take a cynical approach and hope we're proved wrong.

In the NYT article one of the most interesting quotes from Mr. Kelleher is his statement about the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid and it's impact on the Spire:

Specifically, Mr. Kelleher is waiting for next fall, when the city will learn whether it will be the site of the 2016 Olympics. “If Chicago lands the Olympics,it will certainly be a boost to the local economy,” Mr. Kelleher said.

Why is this interesting? It seems as if many people in the business world are on the edge of their seats to see what happens with the Olympic bid. As you know, we're all for the Olympics here at Sloopin, but it does raise a red flag when we hear talk like this. What happens if Chicago doesn't get the Olympic bid? Will this loss spell even more deflation in development and business in Chicago?

Conversely, winning the bid would probably help the local economy a lot (which is what Mr. Kelleher is saying). Obviously Chicago would get a lot of free international publicity which would help Mr. Kelleher sell units to across the globe.

So what do you think? Does the Spire need the Olympics to actually get built?

Funding Problems for Tokyo's 2016 Olympic Bid

According to the Manichi Daily News, proposed funding for Tokyo's 2016 Olympic Bid has encountered opposition within their government. Although this doesn't mean Tokyo is eliminated, it's not a good sign especially since the final bid books are due to the IOC next week.

Security and the Olympics

One of the biggest costs for an American city (or any city) hosting the Olympics is security. Security for the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics cost over $300M. If Chicago ends up winning the 2016 Olympics, our guess is that the security line item on the budget will be a record.

This article on Medill's website begins to address the concerns, costs, and preparations that are going on in case Chicago wins.

I've been to a fair number of large scale events around Grant Park and for the most part the City of Chicago does a pretty good job in my opinion. The best and most recent example of this prowess was the November 4th Election Night rally for Obama.



The city is rightfully touting it's ability with the Obama example, but still the Olympics are larger, longer, and of more interest to the entire world. Which also means it can be a bigger target for the crazies out there.

Will the U.S.' Olympic and World Cup bids affect each other?

My guess is no, especially since the Olympics (2016) would happen before the world cup (2018 or 2022). This blog entry on the Chicago Tribune points out some interesting examples of cities to host both events within a short span:

Mexico hosted the 1968 Summer Olympics and the 1970 World Cup, West Germany hosted the 1972 Summer Olympics and the 1974 World Cup and the United States hosted the 1994 World Cup and the 1996 Summer Olympics. Also, Brazil is hosting the 2014 World Cup and is currently in the running for the 2016 Olympics. England is hosting the 2012 Summer Olympics and is a contender for the 2018 World Cup.

As you can see above, the World Cup always followed the Olympics. My question to everyone is whether Brazil hosting the 2014 World Cup will affect Rio's chances of landing the 2016 Olympics?

Do the egomaniacs at the IOC really feel comfortable about their precious Summer Olympics following the World Cup? My guess is no, what do you think?

Chicago Olympic Venues Approved by International Federations

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that the International federations of sports that participate in the Olympics have approved all of Chicago's proposed venues for the 2016 games. All other competitors (Rio, Tokyo and Madrid) have announced similar approvals.

Of more interest is the looming February 12th due date for the 'bid books' to the IOC. At this time, all applicant cities will publicly unveil their detailed plans for everything from venues to financing to impact on the city (among other things).

"Major" Developers Line Up for Olympic Village

Chicagobusinesss.com is reporting that some of Chicago's biggest developers are interested in taking on the Olympic Village project assuming Chicago wins the bid. This is good news for the bid and city as it will alleviate some of the fears citizens and the IOC might have with this 'privately' funded portion of the plan:

The willingness of well-known developers to take on the project boosts the
credibility of Chicago's Olympics bid, which relies heavily on the private
sector. At an estimated cost of $1.1 billion, the athletes' village, planned for
the site of Michael Reese Hospital near 31st Street and Cottage Grove Avenue,
was the most expensive and perhaps riskiest element of the plan.

To us this isn't surprising. We figured that a developer would be salivating at the opportunity to develop this high profile and great piece of land. Obviously the city is making this area a priority for its future plans and it seems like a no brainer for most developers.

Previously our only reason for concern was how the current economic and real estate situation could effect this plan, but this article puts those fears to rest...well sort of puts them to rest.

Closer Look at the Michael Reese Hospital Site

With all the recent talk about TIFs to help fund the Olympic Village, it sparked us to take a closer look at the area. Below is an aerial shot of the proposed Olympic Village area. Although the official bid book has not been released, pieces of information have leaked through various media reports and interviews with 2016 officials.


We've identified four areas on the map that look to play a vital part in Chicago's 2016 Olympic Plan (assuming Chicago wins). With that said, let's take a look at each one:

Michael Reese Hospital Site
This area was recently bought by the city and looks to be a less expensive way to create the Olympic Village while still having it close to the city, by the lake, and next to many proposed venues. This area is prime real estate and in our mind a big win for the city and the bid.

Air Rights over McCormick Place Parking Lot
For the initial bid submission to the USOC and IOC, this area was originally slated to be the Olympic Village. The problem with that plan was that it was very expensive to build large housing structures over the air rights. From what we've read recently, the city still owns the air rights and plans to build a park connecting the Michael Reese site to the Lake/South Burnham Park. We like this idea as this area has been an eye sore for a long time and will help build a new park which will bolster the lake front.

Unknown Real Estate
The area shaded green is an unknown to us, we're not sure if it's part of the Michael Reese deal. After going down to the area it's still hard to tell. However, there is a McDonald's so we imagine that it's private property not owned by the city. The reason we call this out is because it butts up against the southern part of McCormick Place and would potentially be between the Olympic Village and McCormick Place (which plays a vital role in the plan). Although it would be ideal if the city owned this area, it probably wouldn't diminish the plan if it's not part of the village. Just an area to ponder...

Metra Rail Lines
Shaded in yellow are the Metra Rail lines that run Metra trains and South Shore trains. This is another great resource for this area and hopefully something the bid organizers and other Chicago urban planners are considering. These train lines don't connect to the current CTA train grid, but we would love to see them somehow join them. Check out our post from 2008 called "Sloopin's Grand Plan" that talks about this in more depth. Regardless, the 27th street station most likely will become a large hub for trains, buses and various other transportation resources as it looks to be one of the central points for the Olympic plan.

How do you feel about this site? Do you think the bid is using it well?

Interview with Patrick Ryan

The Chicago Tribune recently sat down with Pat Ryan, former CEO of AON and current chairman of the 2016 Chicago Olympic bid, to talk about the bid's potential legacy and how it relates to and draws inspiration from Daniel Burnham's plan for Chicago.

Two answers stick out to me as specifically interesting for Sloopin residents as he talks about how northerly island and the south side of Burnham park (which is south of McCormick Place) could be transformed for the Olympics:

Q. What sort of legacy might the 2016 Games leave in Burnham Park and the portion of that park called Northerly Island?

A. We are talking about using Northerly Island a lot more to build upon Burnham's vision. During the Games, Northerly Island would be the site of beach volleyball, sailing and canoe/kayak events. Afterward, we want to create an outdoor recreation oasis on the island.

In addition to a kayak slalom course, the center will have a permanent center for wall-climbing, rafting and kayaking. And there will be a center for youth sailing. We also want to develop the southern section of the island into a wetland environment, to promote conservation and increase the bird population.

Q. How about the southern end of Burnham Park, south of McCormick Place?

A. We're going to have our Olympic Village on the site of Michael Reese Hospital. There will be a new harbor at 31st Street for sailboats and powerboats. We envision a sizable park over the site of the McCormick Place truck marshaling yards west of Lake Shore Drive. And we are looking at pedestrian bridges over Lake Shore Drive -- at least one and hopefully more.

Bob Ctvrtlik and the Olympic Bid

Who is he and why do we care? Well besides a weird name, he will be instrumental in helping the Chicago 2016 bid reach and connect with the often ornery IOC members. If you're really interested in the Olympic bid check the story out on Chicago Sun-Times, if not don't bother...