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May 8, 2007 11:19 pm US/Central
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Chicago Businesses Bolster 2016 Olympic Bid
by Jay Levine
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
A new phase for Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid began Tuesday with a day of meetings with U.S. Olympic officials who gave high praise to the unsung heroes pushing Chicago's bid.
The USOC met with the members of Chicago 2016 for the first time as partners. The two were integrating their teams and setting and agenda.
"We've got a road map going forward, and it was a very productive day," said Chicago 2016 CEO Pat Ryan. "I was proud of our team and now proud of our integrated team."
CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine introduces us to those who've been working hard behind the scenes.
U.S Olympic CEO Jim Scherr, the Olympic medalist and Northwestern business school graduate threw out the first pitch at Wrigley Field Tuesday night, and raved about the city's energy and enthusiasm.
"It's an incredible resource we want to channel and make sure it's focused the right way the next two-and-a-half years," Scherr said.
It's something Chicagoans have already seen in the creative minds who came up with the city's winning bid.
"The architecture, engineering and construction community contributed millions in in-kind services," said Tom Kerwin of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.
Kerwin, managing partner of one of Chicago's legendary architectural firms, led the effort by 30 companies in various fields which brought the plan to life, without billing a dime. That work was part of an estimated $13 million in in-kind contributions to the winning bid.
"It's good for our city," Kerwin said. "It's a chance to come together. It's a chance to put egos aside and for all of us to work together for the common good of the city of Chicago."
"Obviously there are a lot of legal components to a project like this and making a bid like this and we've been a part of the bid team and thinking through various legal aspects of the bid," said Chris Abbinante of Sidley Austin, LLP, which did pro bono work for the bid.
"The community support for the bid from the architectural firms, the law firms, the PR firms, all the other Chicago businesses that are supporting the bid was a critical factor," Scherr said.
Also lending a hand was a virtual who's who of corporate Chicago. Add to that $13 million of in-kind donations, $32 million in cash contributions and you've matched the $40 million New York spent bidding for the 2012 games.
Money will clearly not be a problem. In fact, CBS 2's Olympic partner, AroundTheRings.com says our international competition will be hard-pressed to raise as much.
Still, all the drawings and models and the concept Chicago presented won out over Los Angeles, but to win over international competition will have more to do with capturing the Olympic spirit.
"This is a bid about sport, not about building buildings, and not about all the administrative things that are involved in a bid. This is a bid about sports," said USOC Vice President Bob Ctvrtlik. "We'll keep sports in the foreground and athletes will be the center of this bid."
That's why the international boxing championships, just awarded to Chicago to be staged at the UIC Pavilion this fall, are so important.
"Plus Olympians or future Olympians from 100 countries get a chance to see Chicago and that's always a positive thing," Ctvrtlik said.
The USOC delegation also sought to reassure those worried about Chicago taking a bath financially if it got the games.
"The last two summer Olympic Games held in the U.S. operated in the black and we are very confident these games will operate in a responsible manner financially, one that will not have to touch on financial guarantees," Scherr said. "The guarantees are important to the IOC and that's why they're there, but we feel confidant that the games in the U.S. market will be successful financially."
Chicago continues to keep its proposed budget under wraps, despite concerns raised by the games of 2004, 2008 and 2012 costing $15 to $30 billion or more to stage.
The campaign for the 2016 Summer Games begins in earnest right after July 4th, when the International Olympic Committee chooses the host of the 2014 Winter Games.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)