Though the Associated Press reported early Sunday that the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) had struck a deal with Los Angeles that would put forward the city as America’s bid for the 2024 Olympic Games, officials have yet to confirm the tip from an unnamed source who is “familiar with the process.”
When pressed later on Sunday, an LA 2024 spokesperson could not substantiate the report but told GamesBids.com “we’ve made significant progress and are awaiting council approval before taking any next steps.”
On Friday an appointed Los Angeles City Council Ad Hoc Committee reviewed the bid documents, facilitated hearings and provided feedback, but any decision was pushed forward to an expected vote on Tuesday. If the City Council approves, Mayor Eric Garcetti will have the authority to sign agreements with the USOC and International Olympic Committee (IOC), allowing the bid to move forward.
Any rumoured deal can’t be officially struck and signed until a majority vote is received Tuesday, but at that point, the USOC can act immediately and name Los Angeles a contender to host the Games.
Bid officials claim the (USD) $4.6 billion bid can generate a $161 million surplus but last week an analysts report raised concerns that the cost of the athletes village was underestimated and the land for it needed to be purchased from Union Pacific.
The application deadline is September 15 and the IOC will elect the host city in September 2017.
