A local San Diego television station, KGTV, reports that a feasibility study is being drafted to examine whether a San Diego bid for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games is possible. The proposed plan is to host the Games jointly with Tijuana.
KGTV reports that Malin Burham of the Binational Organizing Committee says watching the success of the 2002 Winter Olympic Game in Salt Lake City gave him the idea to try to bring the 2016 Games to San Diego, but he wants to make it a binational event with Mexico.
Although he knows a bid would involve a lot of work and cost billions of dollars for venues, infrastructure and improved transportation, Burham said the cost of all that would be paid for by the Olympic organization. “Fortunately local government doesn’t get involved other than endorsement”, he said.
But Gary Bonelli of the San Diego Association of Governments disagrees. While admitting that a San Diego-Tijuana Olympics would be a tremendous opportunity for the city he says everyone would pay the price of hosting the event, reports KGTV.
Bonelli said, “based on our experience hosting several Super Bowls…there are up-front costs that local governments would have to bear”.
According to KGTV the issue will be explored next week at a conference at the University of San Diego.
