Communities for Equitable Olympics Also Plans Protest

The details have not been disclosed, but another group planning to protest the IOC visit to Chicago this week is Communities for Equitable Olympics – a group calling for balanced development and development without displacement if the Olympics come to Chicago.

Tribune Documents Race to Clean Up for IOC

The Chicago Tribune has a photo essay showing some of the different frantic improvements happening to city streets, infrastructure and parks.

Olympic Committee Visits Chicago – Protests Organized

In a few weeks the IOC will come to town and there are several protests organized, including one by NO GAMES Chicago. Here are the details:

Say ‘NO’ to the Chicago 2016 Olympic Bid
Thursday, April 2, 2009
5pm, Federal Plaza (50 W. Adams)
Download rally_flyer-letter

The International Olympic Committee will be in town from April 2-8th to evaluate
Chicago’s potential as a Host City for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Let them know
that Chicago 2016 does not speak for the people of Chicago. Let them know that
Chicagoans have other priorities. Let them hear your voice.

Posted in the Tribune…

Rio Olympic bid leaves Chicago with highest revenue projection

February 16, 2009 9:40 AM

Rio de Janeiro finally released its 2016 Olympic bid book today, and its revenue projection means that Chicago expects to bring in at least $1 billion more than its three rivals to cover operating expenses. Rio projects revenues and operating expenses of $2.81 billion, about the same on both counts as Tokyo and some $150 million more than Madrid. Chicago, by comparison, has a $3.8 billion revenue projection against $3.3 billion in operating expenses. The difference includes a $450 million contingency fund that is, of course, dependent on raising the revenue. Rio’s Olympic-related budget, including capital investments in transportation, sports venues and “incremental costs,” is $11.6 billion, or 2 1/2 times that of any of its rivals. As expected, Rio’s ticket prices are lowest: $200 to $1,000 for the Opening Ceremony, as compared with $520 to $1,645 for Chicago; and $30 to $150 for prime events, compared with $28 to $456 for Chicago. –Philip Hersh

Overview of Recent Olympic Related Organizing and Events

Micah Maidenberg of Chicago Journal recently published an overview article on the launch of No Games Chicago and a discussion about the 2016 Olympics held at the Union League.

No Games Chicago Launches Campaign

a NO GAMES: Chicago public forum (please post widely)
Why we should say ‘NO’ to the
CHICAGO 2016 Olympic Bid.
Saturday, Jan. 31st @ 6pm
UIC Student Center East 750 S. Halsted, Room 605 map

THE CITY OF CHICAGO HAS entered into bidding for the 2016 Summer Olympics  with little public debate or discussion about the merits of hosting the event. Chicago 2016 and the Mayor are promising the Olympics will be a boon to the city. However, past Olympics have proven to be a burden on cities; leaving behind mountains of debt and empty sporting facilities – while promised job growth and public infrastructure  improvements never come to fruition.

Already, the 2012 Summer Olympics in London are four times over budget – with  security costs alone expected to exceed $2 billion. Meanwhile, revelations about the  Olympic Village for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics continue to surface. Not only are the people of Vancouver now on the hook for $875 million dollars to finish the  Olympic Village (that was originally to be funded through private dollars) — the project may leave the city bankrupt.

Join NO GAMES: Chicago for a panel discussion on why Chicagoans have nothing to  gain from the Olympics any why we should actively oppose them.

Join a panel discussion with:
CHRISTOPHER SHAW author of Five Ring Circus: Myths and Realities of the Olympic Games and founding member / lead spokesperson for two groups in opposition to Vancouver’s 2010 Winter Olympics: No Games 2010 Coalition and 2010 Watch.
DEBORAH TAYLOR of Southside Together Organizing for Power (STOP) and Lake Park East Tenants Association.
KAREN GJ LEWIS of the Caucus of Rank and File Educators (CORE)
WILLIE J.R. FLEMING of the Coalition to Protect Public Housing and the Chicago Independent Human Rights Council

For more information on this event or NO GAMES: Chicago
email: nogameschicago@gmail.com
phone: 312-235-2873
on the web: www.nogameschicago.com

“Unlympics” Creative Response to Olympic Bid

This week Unlympics starts in Chicago. Initiated by local artist Anne Elizabeth Moore and InCUBATE. Check the site for lots of resources and information about what they’ll be up to.

Obamalympics

What does the Obama Administration mean for Chicago’s bid for the 2016 games? The President-Elect has released a video statement of support in the city’s effort to win over the IOC. The AP has more coverage. This is old news, but as the Obama Administration’s cabinet and advisors become named, another look at the interactions between Obama the Senator and housing in Chicago is in order. Privatization is one of the primary means of redevelopment and restructuring that takes place under the guise of Olympic spectacle…

Center on Housing Rights and Evictions Takes on Olympics

Center on Housing Rights and Evictions, reports on the negative impact of Olympics

Land Grab Relay

This is a repost from an earlier entry over at the Temporary Travel Office blog:

So it seems that Chicago, one of four cities up for the 2016 Olympic games, is already beginning to put some real estate development in play, even before it’s anywhere near certain where the city will actually be chosen or not. According to a recent Chicago Tribune piece, the city is planning to pay $85 million for the soon-to-be-closed Michael Hospital property, to be used, potentially, for part of an Olympic village.
According to an earlier and more detailed Tribune article on the property, Chicago’s

Olympic bid proposes a $1.1 billion complex that would be privately developed and converted to private housing after the Games. The city intends to pursue this development regardless of whether it beats out Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo to host the Games.

The city is definitely putting some redevelopment in motion regardless of the Olympic outcome, unless you have a conspiracy theory that Daley knows something about the bid selection we don’t. Also interesting, the company who currently owns the property, Medline bought the hospital property for $24 million, so they’re making a hefty sum off the sale as is.
In These Times has a great summary of what’s at stake in Chicago, bid or no bid.
And check this out, another use of activist tours in Chicago.