Mayor Richard M. Daley announced today that Washington Park will be the cornerstone of the city’s proposal for the 2016 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Mayor said the Chicago 2016 Committee will recommend that the South Side park become the site of Olympic Stadium, which would be the scene of the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as track and field events and open-air festivals. The Olympic Cauldron would be on display at the stadium for the duration of the Games and would remain past the games as an ongoing memorial to Chicago’s Olympic Games.
“Our goal is to invest in Washington Park as a major sports and cultural destination, and to turn the renovated park into a catalyst for economic development in the surrounding community,” Daley said at a news conference in Washington Park, where he was joined by Patrick Ryan, chairman of the Chicago 2016 Committee, community leaders and former Olympic athletes.
Washington Park is bounded by 51st Street on the north, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive on the west, 60th Street on the south and Cottage Grove Avenue on the east.
After the Olympic Games depart, the Olympic Stadium would be downsized into a below-grade 10,000-seat stadium that would host local, national and international track-and-field meets.
“Washington Park was one of the jewels of Chicago’s park system at the turn of the century,” said Ryan. “By having the Olympic Games in Chicago, we would restore the park to its original grandeur and The stadium would be maintained by the Chicago Park District and would also serve as a community amphitheatre, providing a gathering place for neighborhood, South Side and city-wide events.
Washington Park also would have two new fields that could serve football and soccer teams.
Other improvements to Washington Park would include improved streets and public transportation connections to the park; better lighting and security measures; new pedestrian and bicycle paths; enhanced beautification, including a revitalized lagoon and wetlands; and additional parking facilities.
“We believe this plan will create an urban legacy that will live on well past the Olympic Games, bringing continued economic, cultural and athletic benefits to the surrounding community for years to come,” Daley said.
Ryan said the plan will be refined as input is received from the community and the U.S. Olympic Committee.
Daley reiterated his vow that the Olympic Games must not be a financial burden to local taxpayers and must leave lasting benefits for the Chicago metropolitan area, especially in the area of infrastructure.
“We believe the Games will solidify Chicago’s position as one of the great cities of the world, and also have a substantial economic impact,” Daley said.
“The Olympic Games will help revitalize Washington Park; create new infrastructure in Washington Park and in other parts of the city; and generate new jobs in tourism, retailing and other areas of the economy.”
He noted that the 2000 Olympic Games had an economic impact of $6.5 billion dollars on Sydney and the 1996 Olympic Games had a $5.1 billion impact on Atlanta.
“The last three Olympic Games in the United States have returned profits to their cities and to the Olympic Movement for sports development – and Chicago can be the fourth,” he said.
The revised plan will be part of the Domestic Applicant City Questionnaire, which must be submitted to the USOC by the end of September.
The USOC has chosen Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles as the three finalists for a potential U.S. bid for the 2016 Games. A final decision is expected next year.