The D.C. 2024 Olympics committee made its bid to the U.S. Olympic Committee to be named the American candidate to host the Summer Games Tuesday.
D.C. Mayor-elect Muriel Bowser joined Washington 2024 Chairman and CEO Russ Ramsey, former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, Capitals and Wizards owner Ted Leonsis, and local Olympian Katie Ledecky in California for the presentation.
"In D.C., when we want something, we go for it, and I am proud of the effort our team put forward today," Bowser said in a statement.
She says the proposal has the potential to speed up development in Wards 7 and 8.
Washington, D.C., is among four finalists for a possible U.S. bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympics, competing against Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The U.S. Olympic Committee officially announced the four cities as potential hosts over the summer. Of the four, L.A. is the only one to have hosted previously, in 1932 and 1984.
The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments has endorsed the district's 2024 bid, calling the Olympics a "once-in-a-generation opportunity."
D.C. 2024 argues that D.C., Maryland and Virginia are more than equipped to handle the event. A section on its website titled "Why Washington" says the area has 129,000 hotel rooms, more than 136 million square feet of retail space and the most walkable city in the U.S.
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The group has also suggested using existing stadiums in the region, and building out the region's existing transportation and housing options.
DC 2024 that says hosting the Olympics would cost the region $4 billion to $6 billion, but it claims that with proper planning, the economic impact could be greater than the cost.
”Should the U.S. Olympic Committee select Washington, D.C., I am committed to working with regional leaders to develop a plan that will benefit residents and leave a positive, lasting impact on our city," Bowser said.
The USOC board voted Tuesday to enter one of its four finalists into a field that includes Rome and either Hamburg or Berlin with Paris likely to join. A decision on which city the U.S. will put forward for a bid is expected next month.
