Boston 2024 officials are outlining their "Bid 2.0" version of the proposed 2024 Olympics in Massachusetts. Current Boston 2024 Chairman Steve Pagliuca says the plan still calls for buying out the existing businesses in Widett Circle and building a temporary stadium there - and then turning the land after the games over to a private developer, who would build a whole new transit-oriented development with 4,000 apartments.
Pagliuca says the plan will mean lots of new tax revenue for the city - and 590 units of affordable housing and 15 acres of new parkland.
US Rep. Steve Lynch has vowed to fight the Widett Circle proposal.
Pagliuca estimated a budget of about $5 billion, which he said could be covered entirely privately. However, he said that does not include the $1.2-billion cost of a "pad" on which to build the Widett Circle stadium. He said that's considered an "economic development" cost, not an Olympic cost, because it would be assumed by the developer given the land for rebuilding after the Olympics. He said there's a similar issue with the proposed Olympic Village at Columbia Point, which would be left as 3,000 apartments and about 1,000 dorm rooms for UMass Boston.
The budget also does not include roughly $760 million in upgrades to the T and roads - such as Kosciuszko Circle in Dorchester - that the state has yet to budget for.
Architect's rendering of proposed Midtown neighborhood in 2044:
Franklin Park will still get horsey events and the Pentathlon, but pentathletes will have to go elsewhere for their swimming race - after residents complained nobody was asking for a pool in Franklin Park, Boston 2024 took that out of its plans.
Boston 2024 CEO Richard Davey said the T should be able to handle the anticipated Olympics load based on already planned improvements in cars and signaling on the Red, Orange and Green lines. However, he called for a new commuter-rail station at Widett Circle and is still counting on upgrades to the JFK/UMass Red Line stop that the state has not planned for.