Click here for a quick WCVB video, or here for all the sordid details at the Boston Business Journal. In case anyone's bad at math, 66% of an Opening Day stadium would cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. For example, London … [Read more...]
How Not to Write a Column: the Olympic Edition
Shirley Leung provides a great example today, with her piece headlined, "Dear USOC: We really do want to host the Games." So, how about it, BMG? Anyone subconsciously harboring deep Olympic desires? … [Read more...]
Looking at the future of the Boston Olympics from the 5th Floor of Government Center.
Bob, Sabutai, Hysterprynne and I sat down with Mayor Walsh and his Chief of Policy/fellow BMGer, Joyce Linehan, today. It was actually pretty great timing for me. I had been working on a post about the Olympics a couple weeks ago, just … [Read more...]
Is the USOC about to drop a house on #Boston2024’s bid?
Quick, someone prep the Lollipop Guild; it looks like someone may drop a house on #Boston2024's bid. The Fat Lady hasn't sung yet, but the obvious conclusion about Boston 2024 is becoming obvious to the people who still have the time to … [Read more...]
What’s more important — Hollywood, or the MBTA?
Governor Baker really, really, really doesn't want to raise taxes to fix the MBTA. Okay, fine, Mr. Governor. So what are we going to do? How about this? The Hollywood tax credit costs $100 million or so a year in corporate … [Read more...]
Popular support for a Boston Olympics is already dead // Crackdown on city workers’ free speech is not boilerplate
It was pretty easy to guess that the meager support a Boston Olympics was receiving in early polls would quickly dissipate as the details spilled out. But who would have guessed it would happen this fast? The latest, a statewide poll … [Read more...]
Boston 2024 hasn’t even spoken with the owners of the land they want to bulldoze
Just in case there were any remaining doubts about just what Boston 2024, the IOC and USOC is all about... read this. Boston 2024 said in its planning documents that it has “engaged all owners in ongoing dialogue about permanent control of … [Read more...]
It’s Official: Boston 2024 isn’t going to tell us the costs until after the final IOC decision // if we want to develop, let’s develop
They've come out and said it. (Hey Globe -- way to bury the lede.) Organizers on Wednesday also released bid documents and budget plans, though they said they withheld details on potential land and venue costs to protect their negotiating … [Read more...]
Did you hear that funny Olympic cost overruns joke? And other items.
A construction company CEO walks into a Boston Bar, promising he'll get an insurance policy that will make sure Olympics cost overruns won't cost the taxpayers there a dime. The punchline? The policy only covers $25 million. Or maybe … [Read more...]
Can we believe Boston won’t be on the hook for Olympic cost overruns?
Boston 2024 has promised at numerous points that Boston won't be on the hook for any cost overruns. But can we afford to believe them? Let's ask Seattle what happens when you get involved in a major project with regional … [Read more...]