Philadelphia has hoped to host an Olympic summer games for a long time now. Though the city bid to host both the 2006 and 2016 games, it was beat out by other cities for consideration by the US Olympic Committee. The third time may just be the charm for Philly: buzz about the city's place on a "short list" might be pure speculation, or it might be the first step toward the 2024 Philadelphia Olympic Games.
When the US Olympic Committee asked 35 US cities if they'd be interested in hostinthe 2024 summer games, Mayor Nutter responded with a strong "yes". On top of the Mayor's enthusiasm for the games, social media accounts advocating for the 2024 games to be in Philadelphia have been active since 2010. Pennsylvania Senator Joe Casey also threw his support behind the effort for a Philly Olympics in May.
Before you get too excited, though, consider that the path to the Olympics is a long and winding one. Even if Philly does win the honor of hosting the Olympics, there will be multi-milion dollar stadiums to be built and infrastructure to be renewed (can you imagine how SEPTA would handle the massive influx of visitors?). And, even though hosting would be a huge honor, it might also prove costly. Philebrity pointed out that hosting the games can take a huge toll on a reigions economy. The London Olympics cost about $14.8 billion to put on, and may have hurt the city's economy.
Either way, rumors are already flying, and commenters on this article have even wondered if the LoSo Entertainment Complex proposed by PHL Local Gaming could help host the 2024 Olympics.
· Philadelphia declares interest in 2024 Olympics bid [Philly.com]
· Summer Olympics Philadelphia 2024 [Facebook]
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