OKC to host Summer Olymipcs

[Bellaboo]

I think we've had one to many F5's to be remotely considered.

[OKVision4U]

I think we've had one to many F5's to be remotely considered.

...we could add that event to the list.... Tornado Chasing.

[Snowman]

...we could add that event to the list.... Tornado Chasing.

They are scheduled a couple months too late in the year for that.

[OKVision4U]

We could have some of the events in Norman (via our new High Speed Rail ) at OU...the new Loyd Noble Center for Gymnastics & a new Aquatics facility.

We could have some of the events in Edmond ( via our new High Speed Rail ) at UCO ..the new Tennis facility & table tennis events.

We could have some of the events in West OKC ( OSU OKC ) / MWC ( Rose State ) with new facilities...via our new High Speed Rail commuter lines.

...the facilities could be absorbed into the existing univ. with the others in downtown area facilities ( and fairgrounds ). ....this way, they are not a one time use facility w/ an olympic name on them.

[OKVision4U]

Fairgrounds - Equestrian. ....Golf - ...take your pick CC.

[bchris02]

The only way I could POSSIBLY see this happening is if Dallas was to get the games and then OKC could have some events, most likely water events. By that time, there should be high speed rail to efficiently transport people from Dallas to OKC for those events.

OKC isn't hosting the Olympics in our lifetimes and neither is any other American city that isn't an alpha world city. New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, etc are Olympic cities. Sorry to be negative and everything but its reality.

If Salt Lake can hold the winter olympics, then we are not that far removed from type of global event. With our existing MAPS projects ( I and III ), many of these facilities will be in-place and debt free. Even if we do not get them in 2028, the following MAPS initiatives will bring us even closer to this chance to show the world our town.

The Winter games are a different animal. If OKC had world-renowned snow-capped mountains, I would say it could be a candidate.

[shawnw]

A source for some of the stats warren used:
London Olympics by the numbers - CNN.com

This would be a monumental undertaking (don't get me wrong, I'd like to see this someday, but 2028?). Let's see if we can ever finish Project 180 and our highway interchanges and then sit down and talk about the Olympics.

[soonerfan_in_okc]

Hell no. The idea is straight up stupid and makes us sound as dumb as tulsans who pushed for a bid. Plus, our city has way too many problems that need to be fixed before we dump money into something like this.

[zookeeper]

The only way I could POSSIBLY see this happening is if Dallas was to get the games and then OKC could have some events, most likely water events. By that time, there should be high speed rail to efficiently transport people from Dallas to OKC for those events.

OKC isn't hosting the Olympics in our lifetimes and neither is any other American city that isn't an alpha world city. New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, etc are Olympic cities. Sorry to be negative and everything but its reality.

You're 100% correct. Several have mentioned other U.S. cities, but they're forgetting about all the far more ready-for-olympics cities in Europe, Asia, etc. The USOC is looking at several U.S. cities and will narrow it down to one and they hope to make a bid for that city for the 2024 Summer Games. To think Oklahoma City has an Olympic future in our lifetimes is fantasy.

Just a little reading on the Internet shows that Toronto and Rio have great cases for 2024 - as does Paris - it would be the 100th anniversary of the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Even in the Olympics, the U.S. is in decline as far as our spotlight on the world stage. The east is rising and they have several candidate cities.

[sgt. pepper]

I thought Tulsa was getting the Olympics

[Steve]

No

[Just the facts]

So let me ask, why would OKC even want the Olympics? I know there was a time when the Olympics brought fame and fortune, but those days are gone. Now all it brings is insurmountable debt to the host city while at the same time driving away normal tourist traffic (see London).

[bchris02]

So let me ask, why would OKC even want the Olympics? I know there was a time when the Olympics brought fame and fortune, but those days are gone. Now all it brings is insurmountable debt to the host city while at the same time driving away normal tourist traffic (see London).

I agree. The Olympics are a monumental investment and the benefits are not worth the costs for a city that doesn't have anywhere near the needed infrastructure in place. Many in Atlanta will tell you that, and in 1996 they were still 20 years ahead of where OKC is today. There are many areas where improvements are needed to improve the quality of life for residents in OKC and attract new residents and corporate relocations. There are other sporting events within reach for a city like OKC.

[OKVision4U]

You're 100% correct. Several have mentioned other U.S. cities, but they're forgetting about all the far more ready-for-olympics cities in Europe, Asia, etc. The USOC is looking at several U.S. cities and will narrow it down to one and they hope to make a bid for that city for the 2024 Summer Games. To think Oklahoma City has an Olympic future in our lifetimes is fantasy.

Just a little reading on the Internet shows that Toronto and Rio have great cases for 2024 - as does Paris - it would be the 100th anniversary of the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Even in the Olympics, the U.S. is in decline as far as our spotlight on the world stage. The east is rising and they have several candidate cities.

How many MAPS initiatives would be needed to BE that city that is "on the world stage"? I'm not saying we are ready today ( or even for the next few Olympic events), but when would be "our" time?

1. We are in a better fiscal position to take-on this event in the future, we are on a "pay as you go" (no debt) for these types of facilities. Our close proximity for universities to hold events is a big plus ( this means we can build a facility and have a re-use already in-place. )
2. We are on the same path for our infrastructure now. The mass transit is moving ahead.

So, when? ...I'm not saying today, but maybe we can put ourselves On Course to host an Olympic Event ... 2040 / 2044. This would be a 50th Aniv. for MAPS ?

[warreng88]

How many MAPS initiatives would be needed to BE that city that is "on the world stage"? I'm not saying we are ready today ( or even for the next few Olympic events), but when would be "our" time?

1. We are in a better fiscal position to take-on this event in the future, we are on a "pay as you go" (no debt) for these types of facilities. Our close proximity for universities to hold events is a big plus ( this means we can build a facility and have a re-use already in-place. )
2. We are on the same path for our infrastructure now. The mass transit is moving ahead.

So, when? ...I'm not saying today, but maybe we can put ourselves On Course to host an Olympic Event ... 2040 / 2044. This would be a 50th Aniv. for MAPS ?

I'm 34 and probably not in my lifetime. I think most on here can agree with that.

[Just the facts]

I agree. The Olympics are a monumental investment and the benefits are not worth the costs for a city that doesn't have anywhere near the needed infrastructure in place. Many in Atlanta will tell you that, and in 1996 they were still 20 years ahead of where OKC is today. There are many areas where improvements are needed to improve the quality of life for residents in OKC and attract new residents and corporate relocations. There are other sporting events within reach for a city like OKC.

Atlanta has had a real problem with their Olympic infrastructure AFTER the Olympics. All those venues have to be maintain forever, or torn down decades before their lifespan is over. The remaining shell (Turner Field) of their form Olympic Stadium is about to be torn down in 2 years. Only 25 years after it was built.

[OKVision4U]

Hell no. The idea is straight up stupid and makes us sound as dumb as tulsans who pushed for a bid. Plus, our city has way too many problems that need to be fixed before we dump money into something like this.

Hey, these excuses are the exact ones used in 92'. "Why would anyone spend 24 Mil dollars on a baseball stadium in downtown, we don't even support the 89ers now. THat's so dumb. We have roads that need fix'n. We have pot holes on my road so bad, I kaint' get to my house". "why would we want to spend 70 Mil on a stadium in downtown, we don't have NHL / NBA / only this minor league hockey team". "Hey we need new fire trucks now".

This sounds very familar. Mr. Norick had the vision then when so many did not. I think we ALL should be glad he did not listen to them and pushed it to a vote of the people.

[jn1780]

Hey, these excuses are the exact ones used in 92'. "Why would anyone spend 24 Mil dollars on a baseball stadium in downtown, we don't even support the 89ers now. THat's so dumb. We have roads that need fix'n. We have pot holes on my road so bad, I kaint' get to my house". "why would we want to spend 70 Mil on a stadium in downtown, we don't have NHL / NBA / only this minor league hockey team". "Hey we need new fire trucks now".

This sounds very familar. Mr. Norick had the vision then when so many did not. I think we ALL should be glad he did not listen to them and pushed it to a vote of the people.

No, if they said lets pass this MAPS project to "attract the Olympics" it would have failed by large margins.

[warreng88]

Hey, these excuses are the exact ones used in 92'. "Why would anyone spend 24 Mil dollars on a baseball stadium in downtown, we don't even support the 89ers now. THat's so dumb. We have roads that need fix'n. We have pot holes on my road so bad, I kaint' get to my house". "why would we want to spend 70 Mil on a stadium in downtown, we don't have NHL / NBA / only this minor league hockey team". "Hey we need new fire trucks now".

This sounds very familar. Mr. Norick had the vision then when so many did not. I think we ALL should be glad he did not listen to them and pushed it to a vote of the people.

You are talking about two completely different ways of thinking though. One (Mr. Norrick's): Let's do something that rebuilds our city and makes it a place people want to live. If we get a major league sports tennant, great!. Two (You): Let's spend more than $20 billion over 20 years to lure one of the least profitable events (but most watched) in the world to a city that has a population a quarter of any other city in recent history that has hosted. Yes, we could build a $100 million water sports arena at OU, a new large tennis court at OCU, a 10,000 person arena at UCO and an 80,000 person arena downtown somewhere, but that is not something anyone here in the city wants to take on. Oh and then we need to convince hotels to build enormous structures decades before the games with no possibility that they will be anywhere near full before or after the games. Yeah, good luck with that.

[Snowman]

Atlanta has had a real problem with their Olympic infrastructure AFTER the Olympics. All those venues have to be maintain forever, or torn down decades before their lifespan is over. The remaining shell (Turner Field) of their form Olympic Stadium is about to be torn down in 2 years. Only 25 years after it was built.

Atlanta did it much better than many cities, they spread them out and placed in areas where (at least in most cases) existing organizations could use the stadium going forward (even when that meant having it outside of Atlanta) and handled the operations and minor maintenance going forward, many other cities they would hope that they could keep using them in the future but had built them in areas where there was not coaching, athletes, financial backers or concentration of fans for the sport; then the facilities go unused till they start to rot and collapse. It does not help that it is rare for countries to be huge fans of every game they need a stadium for. Athens is a poster child of this Abandoned Venues From The 2004 Athens Olympics

[Richard at Remax]

The world knows we are here thanks to the Thunder, lets focus $20 billion elsewhere and not on this silly pipe dream.

[OKVision4U]

Atlanta has had a real problem with their Olympic infrastructure AFTER the Olympics. All those venues have to be maintain forever, or torn down decades before their lifespan is over. The remaining shell (Turner Field) of their form Olympic Stadium is about to be torn down in 2 years. Only 25 years after it was built.

True, and I think Atlanta was pushed ahead by Turner himself. They did have to put the city "in debt" to make this happen in "too short a window".

I think OKC has many things in our favor for this type of event. As a young city, we don't have the tremendous cost of moving over 200 years of buildings like NYC / Chicago / Boston. We have more flexibility to place these structures in a more value friendly cost when looking at current infrastructure. We do have some built-in advantages that other cities may not.

A key to our success, are the proximity of our universities with large facilities. They will need additional facilities in the next 20 / 30 years, so why not "blend" this effort ? High Speed Rail to Edmond & Norman, MWC & Yukon ??? ...this is a tool we need in-place as well.

I'm just saying we could have more advantages than we realize and a great GOAL to aspire to. We OKIE's seem to exceed our expectations.

[Just the facts]

It's not just Atlanta with the debt left over after the game. Montreal hosted the games in 1976 and they just paid off the last debt 6 years ago. Athens will probably never pay off their debt. Rio is shaping up to be a total disaster on every level.

[warreng88]

True, and I think Atlanta was pushed ahead by Turner himself. They did have to put the city "in debt" to make this happen in "too short a window".

I think OKC has many things in our favor for this type of event. As a young city, we don't have the tremendous cost of moving over 200 years of buildings like NYC / Chicago / Boston. We have more flexibility to place these structures in a more value friendly cost when looking at current infrastructure. We do have some built-in advantages that other cities may not.

A key to our success, are the proximity of our universities with large facilities. They will need additional facilities in the next 20 / 30 years, so why not "blend" this effort ? High Speed Rail to Edmond & Norman, MWC & Yukon ??? ...this is a tool we need in-place as well.

I'm just saying we could have more advantages than we realize and a great GOAL to aspire to. We OKIE's seem to exceed our expectations.

But, as a young city, we also don't have the infrastruture necessary to move 1.5 million people around city, even if it does take place all over.

[Just the facts]

But, as a young city, we also don't have the infrastruture necessary to move 1.5 million people around city, even if it does take place all over.

Everyone will have to rent a car.