Apr 4, 2009 10:31 pm US/Central
Chicago 2016 Push Kicks Into High Gear
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Chicago's push to get the 2016 games kicked into high gear this weekend.
Besides a powerful message from the president, Olympic officials also got a very detailed look at the proposed transformation of the city, as CBS 2's Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports.
There they sat, face to face, in a space transformed from a sterile hotel meeting room, into a multi-media wonderland -- where Chicago's vision of the 2016 summer games was brought to life.
The Chicago committee had a very busy schedule Saturday filled with important pitch meetings. They were behind closed doors for most of the day discussing various parts of Chicago's bid and Olympic business.
The meetings between Chicago's Olympic bid committee and the Evaluation Commission from the IOC began promptly on Saturday at 9 a.m.
The bid team prepared an elaborate display inside the Fairmont Hotel, complete with a high tech touch-screen to whisk commission members all over the city while quickly highlighting our cultural attractions and sports venues.
The Olympic stadium and aquatic center in Washington Park, we've already seen. But this was our first, detailed look at what they have in mind for the proposed Olympic Village, the billion dollar complex to be built on the lake just south of McCormick Place.
A quote from the presentation: "The athletes of 2016 will enter a private world filled with amenities and relaxing park-like beauty."
The buildings, separated by lushly landscaped sky terraces, will feature modern, open, airy apartments, with views of the lake and the city skyline. And alongside the athletes' amphitheater for meetings and concerts, a wide promenade will cross Lakeshore Drive to a lakefront recreation area -- with workout facilities, including a running track, waterfront basketball court and a 50-meter pool, plus their own beach.
Olympian Bob Berland presented the village plan to the commission.
"I've lived in four villages," Berland said. "I can't speak for the ones I haven't been in, but I have never seen a plan that has what we've got."
After the games, and perhaps even a year or two before, the village will be a mixed-income community, a new neighborhood, and a new bridge between the near south side and the lakefront.
"We looked well beyond the games to see what our facilities would be, then to see that our facilities would be a benefit to the city and not a burden to the city," said Chicago 2016 Vice President Doug Arnot.
The village is part of Chicago's pledge to put athletes at the center of the games, in the center of the city. And to use them, another video showed, to inspire inner city youth.
"Whenever you feel like you're ready to quit, you always remind yourself of your goal and my goal is to make it to the 2016 Olympics in Chicago," said one Olympic hopeful.
Those are Chicago's main selling points. The commission saw another video from its chief salesman.
"I not only speak to you as President of the United States, but as a proud Chicagoan," Obama said.
President Barack Obama issued a welcome Saturday to the IOC Evaluation Commission members. The president's greetings came in a four-minute video that was played as the Evaluation Commission began hearing presentations on the city's plan by Chicago 2016 officials.
In the message, Obama said: "Chicago is that most American of American cities – a city that reflects the decency, honesty, and generosity of our people; a city of broad shoulders, big dreams, and a bright future. It's a city where the world's races, and religions, and nationalities all live and work and play and reach for the American Dream that brought them here; where our civic parades wave the colors of every culture; where our classrooms are filled with the sounds of the world's languages; and where jazz and rancheras and bhangra can be heard down the street from one another."
Listening to all this, the 13 evaluation commission members who'll rate all four candidate cities on their plans and whether they can deliver them.
"I think it's going well so far," Mayor Daley said.
One of the biggest questions the IOC faces is what city can be counted on the most to be able to build an Olympic Village and all the venues during a worldwide recession. And as Chicago 2016 organizers have done repeatedly, Obama reminded the IOC of the city's history that includes rebuilding after the Great Fire of 1871 and hosting its second World's Fair during the height of the Great Depression.
"This is a city that lives and breathes the ideals of perseverance," he said.
Daley has called Obama the "quarterback" of the city's effort to secure the games and his election in November was seen as a boost for Chicago as it competes with Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo for the games.
Although other cities downplayed the affect of Obama's election, Spanish Sports Minister Jaime Lissavetsky has acknowledged that he would have rather seen the unpopular George Bush in the White House when the IOC makes its decision in October.
And at a press briefing Saturday afternoon, bid strategist George Hirthler said Obama's worldwide popularity is a key to the bid.
"I think he's an incredible asset," he said.
For his part, Obama made part of his pitch his personal connection to the city where he worked as a community activist, law school professor and from which he launched his political career.
"After your visit, once you discover the Chicago that I know -- the city that made my home, the city where my wife grew up, the city where we raised our daughters just blocks from where these games will be held -- I am confident you will discover that you're already in the perfect host city..."
The president is also just the latest proponent of the city's bid to use words like "discovery."
Organizers have long said that because the city is not as well known around the world a key to the bid would be to dispel the notion that Chicago is a gritty enclave of belching smokestacks.
On Saturday, they showed a film the IOC had just viewed that presents the glistening city of green parks and gleaming high rises on the shores of a deep blue lake.
The president's words about how near his own home is to the games also served as another reminder of a key theme to the bid: That Chicago's plan is to host a compact games.
Organizers have made that point repeatedly. They have talked about how many venues -- the proposed Olympic Village and cultural attractions such as the Field Museum -- are along the city's lakefront or within blocks of it.
They stressed that the Olympic Village would put 90 percent of the athletes within 15 minutes of where they will both train and compete.
As one Olympic veteran said, this is more than just bidding to stage an athletic event.
"You're asking to adopt their most cherished possession and they want to make sure you're going to take care of it. And in taking care of it, you're good parents; you can work together," said Olympian and Chicago 2016 team member Donna DeVarona.
One team member suggested that the day's events be followed by a sun dance, to scare away the rain sleet and snow bearing down on Chicago and threatening to mar tomorrow's tour of all the sports venues.
Not everyone is excited about the summer games coming to Chicago. A number of groups protested outside the hotel where the Olympic committee met.
Some environmentalists expressed their concern about the impact of the games on Chicago's lakefront. Other groups worry that low-income families will be displaced by the proposed Olympic village.
Lori Healey, the president of Chicago 2016, said that because the proposed Olympic Village is on the site of a hospital that is largely shut down, no area residents would be displaced.
They also said they don't expect cost estimates to rise significantly. Organizers say the South Side will actually get more affordable housing and new access to the lake.
How the IOC is reacting to all this is an open question, with Chicago 2016 officials saying they would not discuss that or even what questions the IOC is asking.
On Sunday, the IOC members will go out on tour to see the city's proposed Olympic venues first hand. They'll also enjoy dinner with Oprah on Monday, as well as entertainment from Chicago blues legends Buddy Guy and Koko Taylor.
On Tuesday, the events will wrap up with a final news conference – the first time we get to hear from the commission members themselves.
Complete Chicago 2016 Olympic Bid Book (.pdf)
Watch President Obama's welcome message.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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