The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

Editorial: Could the Olympics come to Huntington Avenue?

With the XXII Olympic Winter Games now well underway in Sochi, Russia, the question of the host’s ability to play its role is diminishing. Apart from some unfortunately colored water and a bobsledder stuck in the bathroom, things have gone about as well as could be expected. In Boston though, another conversation is brewing. Could we do this ourselves?

Early evidence suggests the city could, and Northeastern could play a role.

A special panel reviewing the prospect of hosting the 2024 Summer Games is trying to develop a more resounding answer to this very question. Though hosting the Olympics is an undeniable honor for any city, it can come with extreme pitfalls. By many estimates, any revenue produced by hosting the games would likely be far outshadowed by the cost of putting on the event. In 2010, when Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Summer Games was passed over by the International Olympic Committee, fiscal conservatives in the United States expressed great relief at the outcome.

But out of any city on the planet, Boston may be in one of the best positions to put forward such a bid, and not just because of the city’s strong fiscal health and the relative affluence of the region’s populace. As Boston progresses into the 21st century, there are a plethora of investments the city will need to make, regardless of whether or not it hosts the Olympics. The city could have an opportunity to invest in its future while simultaneously putting on this spectacular international competition.

As the Boston Globe reported in November, two of the main investments the city will need to make to prepare for the games are improving transportation infrastructure and building an Olympic village to house the athletes.

Urgent calls to improve the region’s transportation have grown louder and louder in recent years without any context to the Games. Economists and urban planners have long been arguing that robust public transportation is key to the city’s economic future, but lawmakers have been slow to make the appropriate investments. This is an issue that will need to be addressed eventually, and hosting the games may be the kick in the butt the state needs to do so.

The Olympic village too, presents an opportunity for the city. Boston’s housing stock is not equipped to meet the city’s need. An overall lack of accommodations have created abhorrent housing prices in the region. If a public-private partnership built the athlete housing, it could be converted into private housing after the games, with a large portion reserved for middle and low-income earners. Like public transportation, affordable housing is a major investment that the city will need to make in the coming decades regardless.

Of course there is also the need for the venues to host the actual competitions. To this point Boston comes enters with an advantage. With a robust professional sports scene, the region already has the TD Garden, Fenway Park and Gillette Stadium – not to mention various college venues. But of course some further construction will be necessary.

As the Globe reported though, Boston is in a position to meet these needs as well. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has previously expressed interest in building a soccer stadium in or near the city to host the New England Revolution. An urban stadium will better fit the team’s fanbase and will help attract immigrant fans who live in the area and rely on public transportation. The city could partner with Kraft to build an Olympic stadium in Boston, which could then serve as the home of the Revolution.

In this same vein, there may be a role for Northeastern. The Games would need a state-of-the-art aquatic center. The school is already planning on tearing down the Cabot Center, maybe the Barletta Natatorium could be replaced with an Olympic-quality facility. What better way to establish Northeastern as an international institution than to host the world’s athletes?

There are also intangibles at play. As a city rising on the global scene, playing host to the world could give Boston the exposure it needs to secure future investments. While no one doubts the prominence of London, and few have probably considered the prominence of Sochi, this sort of publicity could provide a benefit to Boston it would not for most cities.

There is likely to be a robust debate about the wisdom of bringing the games to Boston in the coming years. It will surely carry financial risks, but many of the investments the city and region would have to make are investments that will be made regardless. As the home of an outstanding athletic culture and a multitude of universities, the city starts from a better point than most. Future analyses will be required to determine the wisdom of hosting the Games in Boston, but the public discussion should not begin under the assumption that this would be a costly and unneeded expenditure.

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