On Monday morning, Boston released its potential bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games, which included the details on how the place such as "Midtown" could be redeveloped to both benefit the Games and Boston at large.
Boston Curbed reported that the Boston submitted and outlined a $1.2 billion proposal to a master developer to plan, build and finance the 7.89 million square feet land at Widett Circle Midtown area, an 83-acre area on the edge of South Boston and the South End that the group has dubbed "Midtown." The Midtown Development Plan highlights an 18-block Midtown area, which is bounded by West Fourth Street, Dorchester Street and I-93, an Interstate Highway in Boston.
It features 950 residential units by 2024 and a further 525 by the following year. There would also be 440,000 square feet of hotel space and thousands more parking spaces as well as new retail and offices.
At the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center on Wednesday, David Manfredi, co-chairman of Boston 2024's planning committee, ran through the "proof of concept" presentation slide-by-slide.
According to the news reported by the WBUR.Org, Manfredi said that the group's plan was based on three major principles including: planning the Games into the city's future keeping 2030 in mind, partnering with local universities, and providing the best possible experience.
"We believe Boston is the right-sized city for the Olympics," he said as quoted by the paper.
Manfredi explained that if Boston were picked, the venues and events could be separated into two major "clusters," allowing attendees and tourists to easily get from place to place. He said 28 of the 33 proposed venues would be within a 10 kilometer or 6.2 miles radius.
One of those proposed areas would be called the "Waterfront Cluster," with structures located near UMass Boston, in Dorchester, where the Olympic village is planned. Parts of Cambridge, including Harvard University and MIT in addition to Boston University and the Beacon Park rail yards will be included in the university cluster.
Based on WBUR.Org's report, July 19 - Aug. 4, 2024 for the Olympics and Aug. 14 - Aug. 25, 2024 for the Paralympic Games will be the proposed dates which are under Boston 2024's plan.
