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Pittsburgh among cities invited to bid for 2024 Summer Olympics
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It would take a huge financial commitment and a massive building program, but Pittsburgh will review whether to submit a bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Pittsburgh was among 35 U.S. cities to receive letters Tuesday from the U.S. Olympic Committee to gauge whether they have interest in preparing a bid for the games. The committee will review bids in about two years and decide whether to recommend one to the International Olympic Committee, which is expected to chose a host city in 2017.
Joanna Doven, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's spokeswoman, said the city is flattered to be included as a potential bidder and won't automatically reject the idea, even though it would involve a budget estimated at $3 billion and include an Olympic Village for 16,500 athletes and a minimum of 45,000 hotel rooms.
"Certainly there would be logistical challenges to meet even to put a bid together," she said. "We will look into what it would take and talk to the corporate and nonprofit community to see if they would be interested.
"Obviously we would have to do our due diligence to see whether we should go forward with a bid."
First Published February 20, 2013 3:23 pm
