Representatives from the California Winter Games Committee (CWGC) reported to Sacramento City Council Tuesday about progress the committee is making to join the bidding process for Sacramento, California to become a host city for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.
The California Winter Games Committee, a volunteer group composed of both state and local civic business leaders, is working with its sister committee in Nevada to host the 2022 Games in California with Lake Tahoe as the hub, reports the Sacramento Press.
Jake Mossawir, chief financial officer for the CWGC, said the group has been polling residents, researching historical data, and reviewing similar bids to raise awareness about the prospect of hosting the Winter Games in the region.
According to the Sacramento Press, Mossawir said Tuesday that the benefits of a future Winter Games would be more fully realized with an entertainment and sports complex – one that supports the major ice sports – namely the ice hockey and figure skating.
City Councilman Rob Fong said Tuesday, “it’s a huge undertaking. I think everyone on the Nevada side understands that the only way for this to work is to be a California-Nevada joint effort”.
Jim Rinehart, economic development director, told city council members that the employment impact of a future Winter Games in the region would be significant.
Rinehart said more than 170,000 full time jobs could be created between 2017 and 2027 – the time period before, during, and after the Games.
Fong said, “we don’t have many mountains here in Sacramento, so we aren’t likely going to host downhill (ski) races, but we could certainly host a number of (ice) rink events if we have the facilities for them”.
Mossawir said the CWGC will release in-depth viability reports in the next few weeks followed by another update report to city council.
