According to Olympic officials, potential technical operational issues with Conte Forum are currently precluding Boston College from inclusion in early talks of Boston’s Olympic bid.
Two weeks ago, Boston 2024 officials and Mayor Martin J. Walsh, WCAS ’09, stood in front of a crowd of more than 300 Bostonians for the first time in public and answered questions about the city’s potential olympic bid. Many of the events plan to be held on college and university campuses across the city—what Boston 2024 officials referred to as the “University Cluster.” John Fish, chairman of Boston 2024 and chair on the Boston College Board of Trustees, explained that a cluster of universities, including Harvard, MIT, and Boston University, are scheduled to host a majority of the athletic events. Thus far, Boston College has been left out of Boston 2024 Olympic plans
“BC was originally in the proof of concept plans to host some events at Alumni and Conte Forum,” John Fitzgerald, a senior project manager from the Boston Redevelopment Authority and the liaison between the city and the Boston 2024 Organizing Committee, said in an email. “Some folks at the USOC saw potential technical operational issues with Conte Forum, so it was left out for the time being. As these concepts evolve, I imagine BC will play some role in hosting the Games, be it an event or another use that would occupy their facilities.”
University spokesman Jack Dunn was previously unaware of Boston 2024’s decision to potentially omit the University from its plans to host the Olympic Games, although he believes that BC’s location in Chestnut Hill is one factor that led Boston 2024’s executive decision.
“My sense is it might have to do with location,” Dunn said. “The Olympic Committee has stated that they’d like to host events in closer proximity to downtown Boston and the core train stops. As we have said, we are happy to work with the Mayor and the Olympic committee to determine ways in which we may be of service.”
Boston 2024 leaders and city officials will host a series of public meetings that will run through September. According to Walsh, the bid is currently in a concept phase and no final decisions have been made regarding venues and transportation.
Featured Image by Drew Hoo / Heights Editor
AN OLYMPIC VENUE..JUST A BIT OUTSIDE…OF BC?
So BC’s World Class State-of-the-Art 1956 Alumni stadium facilities and obsolete & outdated Conte arena are left out! What a shocker!
How can this travesty be Jack and BC?
Your comment Jack:
“My sense is it might have to do with location,” Dunn said. “The Olympic Committee has stated that they’d like to host events in closer proximity to downtown Boston and the core train stops.
So being a few miles away from other possible venues and 14 1/2 feet from a Trolley Stop, the USOC passed BC over?
In prior Olympics, the many venues are spread over huge square miles in host countries and last time I checked my trusty Google Maps, whew, Chestnut Hill looked real, real close to some of those other possible Boston Olympic venues?
So if BC had invested hundreds of millions raised with the “Light The World” Mission Statements stated over the past decade, that actually specified facilities and buildings, and BC built a world class plush retractable dome stadium or a new beautiful arena, we would still be…… a venue too far?
Got it.
Ever to Excel!
Plus the boxing venue is in Lowell of all places instead of other feasible venues like Conte or even Matthews Arena and didn’t the IOC say is now allowing host cities to allow some events outside the central city area like what Beijing did for Equestrian which was held in Hong Kong. Plus hopefully a deal can come because Alumni is a good venue for soccer with almost 45,000 seats the average minimum seen at the last few World Cups.
Stick a fork in BC. They are done. Killed by an administration that despises athletics and is lazy.
I’m sure that whatever issues there are, BC can work them out in time. I don’t see how BC can forego the prestige of being able to say the newly upgraded facilities are Olympic stadiums. That’ll be a nice recruiting tool.
Robert, You get my vote for new BC President and Leader of the Board of Trustees!
Why thank you. I certainly hope that’s the way the current president looks at things. I had a friend who played football in high school who, while good, wasn’t that good. He got offers from brown and Yale. He chose yale because it meant he’d get to play in one of the oldest rivalries ever. BC needs something extra to get people. Something that’s just a little more interesting. When my family vacationed in New York we went to lake placid. I got to skate on the same ice multiple generations of Olympians did. It wasn’t anything amazing to look at on the surface. It’s an ice rink after all. But it’s the idea of it. The idea that at one time, this place was packed full of fans watching Olympic teams play. That some of the athletes these kids look up to played on that field. Every qb on the be field is playing the position once held by Doug Flutie. By Matt Ryan. Every rb will play the spot held by Andre Williams. BC isn’t alabama. It’s not Florida. Or Texas. It needs something more. It needs the Olympics.
My vote was not wasted! I have been calling for a Visionary retractable dome for 12+ seasons. So many spectacular uses, too long to post! Sadly BC is a national embarrassment & lazy and will do nothing. BC has a huge window maybe till 2020 to build and renovate with the cash & the best piece of land, almost 55 flat, unused acres, in the coolest city in America!
BC’s CSOM & BOT are so clownshoes immature with vacant and loser “leadership”!
Take over Robert! Thanks!