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January 15, 2008
Chicago 2016 formally submitted its Applicant File to the International Olympic Committee today, bringing the city one step closer to realizing its dream of hosting the 2016 Olympics.
The Olympic plan centers around a new Olympic Stadium to be built in the South Side’s own Washington Park. In addition to hosting the opening and closing ceremonies and the athletics competition, the new stadium would attract hundreds of thousands of visitors and boost revitalization efforts throughout the neighborhood.
During the Games, the stadium it will attract crowds of up to 80,000. After the Games are over, it will be reconfigured into a community-friendly, 5,000 seat amphitheatre that will host sporting events, festivals, concerts, and other cultural activities.
The plan also calls for the development of a mixed-use community on Chicago's near South Side just west of the lake. The Olympic Village will provide convenient housing for 17,000 athletes and officials, again acting as a central point for improvement of an entire neighborhood on the South Side. After the Games, the village will convert to mixed-income housing.
The Applicant File is the first official document all Applicant Cities must submit to the IOC during Phase I of the IOC’s two-step bid process, known as the Candidature Acceptance Procedure. The questionnaire serves as each city’s logistical blueprint for organizing the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The IOC studies the answers, examining each city’s potential to organize a successful Games in 2016. At the end of this phase, in June 2008, the IOC Executive Board selects the Applicant Cities that will move on to Phase II.
A press conference was held at the Chicago History Museum to mark the significance of the project for the city’s history. “We are confident that the plan we have submitted to the IOC is a strong one,” said Jim Scherr, CEO of the United States Olympic Committee. “Not only is it completely functional, it promises the best possible experience for athletes and their spectators.”
For more information about Chicago’s Olympic bid, and to browse images of the proposed new facilities, visit Chicago 2016’s website.
