On day three of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Evaluation Commission inspection of New York’s bid for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games the issues discussed included cooperation of city, state and federal governments and their financial commitment if New York was selected the 2012 Summer Games host city.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, “I think we satisfied them with our answers. I think they were pleasantly surprised by the commitment from all levels of government”, said New York Governor George Pataki.
The Evaluation Commission saw a video in which President George Bush vowed full backing for the $3.6 billion bid. New York Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff called it a very strong statement of support. Doctoroff said, “he demonstrated great passion for the Olympic movement, an appreciation for the power of the Olympic movement. That can’t help but instil confidence”.
Ronald Betts, a friend of Bush, was the president’s representative in the IOC talks and would be a direct link to the White House on a New York Games organizing committee.
Betts downplayed the notion that global anti-American feelings over the invasion of Iraq would hurt New York’s Olympic bid. He said the President is getting more popular in Europe by the hour.
A detailed $3 billion budget for staging the Games, featuring $2.8 billion in expenses and a $492 million fund for cost overruns was presented to the IOC panel. The $2.8 billion in expenses would include a $200 million contingency fund, a $42 million buffer for construction projects, and an added $250 million guarantee from city and state governments in deals that would be in force no matter who was in office seven years from now.
Betts said the figures do not include security budget guarantees.
Betts assured the commission that the Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security would do whatever was necessary to ensure a secure Games which would draw designation as a national special security event.
There will be $1.2 billion in sponsorship funding, projecting a 25 per cent jump over the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Games figures. New York 2012 financial officer Steve Reynolds said, “this is a big number but we believe this number is conservative. Games in the U.S. have historically had record sponsorship numbers”.
On Thursday it was announced that the Bank of America has increased its financial commitment to New York 2012 in the amount of $500,000. The Bank of America Charitable Foundation grant brings to $1 million the company’s total philanthropic commitment to NYC2012.
Attendance projections were 9.4 million tickets sold from the 12 million available, an 81 per cent sell-out rate, for $852 million in revenue.
Nearly three million tickets would be priced at $25 or less with more than 60 per cent at $50 or less and 87 per cent at $100 or less.
Mayor Bloomberg stressed there were promises by city unions of no strikes during the Games, in the light of planned union strikes during the IOC’s inspection of Paris next month.
Governor Pataki said he was confident the $1.4 billion Olympic Stadium project will move forward. He said, “it’s a critical component of the bid. It’s very important to show them the stadium is approved and is moving forward. The prestige of the city and state are on the line”.
NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly briefed the IOC panel on security for the Games. There will be coordination with law enforcement agencies outside the city and with federal authorities; and the skies above New York and the waterways around the city would be patrolled, said security experts.
Leading up to the Games the NYPD will likely send representatives to observe major gatherings around the world, including the Winter and Summer Games in 2006, 2008 and 2010.
Visitors to the Games would likely be subject to checkpoints and searches near Olympic venues, traffic will be cut off, access will be tightly controlled.
On Thursday, the final day of the inspection, there are tours of the Olympic sites not yet visited, following by the only news conference the evaluation commission will hold.
