New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is “seriously assessing the viability of an Olympic and Paralympics bid for New York City,” including setting up an advisory committee to discuss a potential campaign for 2024, it has been claimed.
Former Deputy Mayor of New York City, Daniel Doctoroff, has submitted plans to Cuomo highlighting the positive effects a Games would have on redevelopment and regeneration of parts of the city, in particular the Borough of Queens which is home to Cuomo, it has been reported.
Asked about the report in the Financial Times, a Governor’s administration official said the Governor’s office has not received a proposal yet but is open to reviewing one if and when that happens.
But the report also claimed New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio did not think an Olympic bid is a priority with a spokesman saying it “is not something the administration is considering at this time”.
Doctoroff was part of the administration of the previous Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, and was a key player in putting together New York’s bid for the 2012 Games which lost out in the second round of voting at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Singapore in July 2005, which eventually saw the Games awarded to London.
De Blasio is reported to be cool on the idea of New York launching a bid for the 2024 Games, primarily due to the cost of running a campaign that may turn out to be unsuccessful again.
He was elected as Mayor of New York City in November last year with one of his main promises being the construction of affordable housing in the city, which has seen him launch a 10-year housing plan aimed at building or preserving 200,000 affordable homes.
If New York does decide to declare an interest in bidding for the 2024 Olympic Games, it is likely to join the likes of Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco and Washington DC, who are all currently lobbying the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) to be put forward as the American candidate for 2024.
Following New York’s failed bid for 2012, Chicago was unsuccessful in its attempt to host the 2016 Games which went to Rio de Janeiro, as the United States looks to host its fifth Summer Olympic Games, and first since Atlanta 1996.
The USOC is expected to announce a shortlist of two or three candidates for 2024 by the end next month.
This article first appeared in Inside the Games and is reproduced with permission. The original article can be viewed by clicking here.
