packed with professional and college sports venues, as well as plenty of public parks, and has crafted .... government,
Inspire Pittsburgh Informational Packet
Pittsburgh: A 2020 Vision Imagine the possibilities for Pittsburgh, as not only a world-class city, but one that shines as an example of 21st-century development for all other cities. Imagine a Pittsburgh on the move, with a rail transit system connecting people from all across the city; a state-of-the-art system that would be the envy of all other American metropolises. Imagine Pittsburgh as a home for sport, a “city of champions” that boasts the venues where future champions train and compete, and where Pittsburghers could enjoy unparalleled recreational opportunities year-round. Now imagine the Olympic Games in Pittsburgh. With an Olympics in Pittsburgh, the city could become a destination for businesses and travelers worldwide. We have an opportunity to build upon the international recognition provided by the G-20 Summit, and boost Pittsburgh to the ranks of the elite cites, while providing new opportunities and services to our residents. More importantly, Pittsburgh would be the site of something bigger in size and scope than any event ever conceived. The Olympic Games are seen by billions of eyes across the globe, and Pittsburgh would be the stage for the most dramatic competitions, the most exciting ceremonies, and the most beloved games in the world. Be inspired. This is our 2020 vision.
Games Concept For over a year, our team has been working on a plan to gain the USOC’s support for Pittsburgh to receive the United States’ bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics. Our four main goals include:
A compact venue plan: Inspire Pittsburgh has taken advantage of a city already densely packed with professional and college sports venues, as well as plenty of public parks, and has crafted a venue strategy that gives Pittsburgh an immediate technical advantage over other cities. Our plan includes 23 venues (and 87% of athletes) within ten kilometers of the proposed Olympic Village at the University of Pittsburgh, more compact than any bid for the 2016 Games, which would positively impact Olympic athlete experience.
Games for us all: Develop legacy plans, youth sports programs, and benefits packages in Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods from private investments in the Games, regardless of whether or not the community is the host of a competition venue. A Pittsburgh Olympics would also include plans for upgraded public transportation and rail transit. These strategies, along with a plan to sell the majority of tickets for under $40, will help to ensure broad public support for the bid in Allegheny County, an important asset to present to the USOC.
Corporate support: One of the major factors in shaking our underdog tag will include developing strong relationships with the twelve Fortune 1000 Companies headquartered in Pittsburgh, as well as other large companies and non-profit organizations. These relationships are necessary legitimize our bid, and to raise funds for the domestic bidding process, estimated at $6.4 million by the San Francisco 2016 Bid Committee.
Partnerships with local government: No Olympic bid can survive without direct partnerships with government. We can only move forward if we have the full support of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, Pittsburgh City Council, Chief Executive Dan Onorato, Allegheny County Council, the Sports & Exhibition Authority, and other local officials.
USOC Questionnaire The United States Olympic Committee’s Domestic Applicant City Questionnaire, along with the evaluation visit and final presentation, are the three main controllable entities by which the USOC decides on a bid city. The questionnaire’s chapters include ten themes: 1. Motivation, Concept & Public Opinion 2. Political Support 3. Finance 4. Venues 5. Accommodation 6. Transport 7. Security 8. General Conditions & Experience 9. International Strategy 10.USOC & Bid City Partnership The United States Olympic Committee is the hand that dishes out support for Olympic bids. Our efforts moving forward depend on a consistent and unrelenting focus on the ten themes set by the USOC.
Olympic Venue Plan Archery Art Rooney Field
Beach Volleyball
Capacity: 5,000
Allegheny River Beach
Cluster: Downtown
Capacity: 12,500 Cluster: Downtown
Artistic Gymnastics, Basketball Finals Handball Finals, Trampoline
BMX
Consol Energy Center
Cupples Stadium BMX Track
Capacity: 17,000-19,000
Capacity: 6,000
Cluster: Downtown
Cluster: South Side
Athletics, Ceremonies,
Boxing
Rugby Sevens, Soccer Finals
Fitzgerald Field House
Heinz Field
Capacity: 7,000
Capacity: 80,000
Cluster: Oakland
Cluster: North Shore Olympic Park Diving, Swimming, Synchronized Swimming Badminton, Track Cycling
PNC Park
South Side Velodrome
Capacity: 25,000
Capacity: 5,500-8,000
Cluster: North Shore Olympic Park
Cluster: South Side Equestrian, Mountain Biking Basketball Preliminaries
Frick Park
Petersen Events Center
Capacity: 12,000
Capacity: 12,500
Location: Point Breeze
Cluster: Oakland
Olympic Venue Plan Fencing, Modern Pentathlon
Indoor Volleyball
(Shooting, Fencing)
Mellon Arena
New CMU Gymnasium
Capacity: 16,000
Capacity: 4,000
Cluster: Downtown
Cluster: Oakland International Broadcast Center Field Hockey
Three Rivers Center
UPMC Sports Performance Fields
Cluster: Downtown
Capacity: 5,000-10,000 Cluster: South Side
Judo, Main Press Center, Taekwondo, Table Tennis, Wrestling
Flatwater Canoeing, Rowing
David L. Lawrence Convention Center
Ohio River
Capacity: 6,500-8,500
Capacity: 12,000
Cluster: Downtown
Cluster: North Shore Olympic Park Main Celebration Center Golf, Shooting
Point State Park
Oakmont Country Club
Cluster: Downtown
Capacity: 4,000 (Shooting) Location: Oakmont
Modern Pentathlon (Swimming), Water Polo Trees Pool
Handball Preliminaries
Capacity: 5,000
UPMC Sports Performance Complex
Cluster: Oakland
Capacity: 7,500 Cluster: South Side
Olympic Venue Plan Modern Pentathlon (Riding, Running)
Soccer Preliminaries
Gesling Stadium
Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, MA)
Capacity: 10,000
Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
Cluster: Oakland
Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis) New Meadowlands (East Rutherford, NJ)
Rhythmic Gymnastics, Weightlifting
Ohio Stadium (Columbus, OH)
A.J. Palumbo Center
Soldier Field (Chicago)
Capacity: 5,500
Capacity: 60,000-100,000
Cluster: Downtown Tennis Road Cycling
Schenley Park Tennis Center
Pittsburgh Road Cycling Course
Capacity: 4,000-10,000
Capacity: Unlimited Course Viewing
Cluster: Oakland
Sailing
Triathlon
Olympic Sailing Center
Three Rivers Park
Capacity: Unlimited Course Viewing
Capacity: Unlimited Course Viewing
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Cluster: North Shore Olympic Park
Slalom Kayaking
TAIL OF THE TAPE:
Olympic Slalom Course
23 of 25 competition venues within 10
Capacity: 8,500
kilometers of Olympic Village at Pitt
Location: North Shore Olympic Park
(excludes Soccer Prelims)
90% of athletes within 10 kilometers of Olympic Village
Pittsburgh-Area Hotels The Summer Olympic Games require 40,000 hotel rooms within 50 kilometers of the “Games Center” (for our purposes, the David L. Lawrence Convention Center).
Existing Hotel Rooms (2-5 stars): 17,041
Existing Hotel Rooms (1-1.5 stars): 569
Future Hotel Rooms (Proposed or Under Construction): 2,553
Total Hotel Rooms: 20,164
How do we fill the gap?
More hotel rooms (guarantees from builders contingent on winning Games)
University Dorms (Duquesne, Robert Morris, Point Park, La Roche College, etc.)
Private apartments (provide temporary lodging for Games-time)
Transportation Car Preventing traffic from commuters and out-of-town commuters is important for an Olympics. A Pittsburgh Games would require the extensive use of the Port Authority’s 60 park-and-ride lots. Drivers would also make use of parking lots at Allegheny County malls (over 38,000 available spaces) for Olympic spectators to park and ride to venues, similar to the satellite parking system for the 2007 U.S. Open. A continuous taxi service within the city would also need to be implemented to serve visitors.
Bus Port Authority of Allegheny County is the 11thlargest public transit agency in the US, despite serving the 22nd-largest metropolitan population. This shows we already have an extensive bus service, but rapid bus within the Olympic Ring would be able to better serve Olympic guests in exclusive lanes, and most Olympic athletes would be able to get to venues by bus within 15 minutes from the Village in these lanes.
Rail The largest transportation infrastructure improvement would need to come in the form of light rail and commuter rail expansion. Further studies would need to be done on how to best expand the T into Oakland, the South Side, and other communities, and how these expansions would impact a venue plan for the Games.
Water With the North Shore Olympic Park and many other venues located along the three rivers, water taxis and other boats could be used to transport spectators and officials between venues.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths:
12 existing venues in compact area Roads and highways designed for larger population (23rd in congestion in US) Growing number of biking trails Rivers for transportation and rowing events Hills and mountains for biking events Extensive bus transport system and busways Three pro sports teams Three Division I colleges in Allegheny County Eight Fortune 500 companies Strong culture and arts scene Large international airport with capacity for new visitors Temperate summer climate G-20 hosting experience Experience hosting large pro events (Stanley Cup, AFC Championship, U.S. Open, All-Star Games) Rapidly becoming known as “green” city Beauty of rivers, hills and skyline
Weaknesses:
Ranked 22nd in metro population in US 20,000 existing hotel rooms in 50-km radius Will USOC even bid? Lack of strong amateur sports tradition and event hosting Lack of extensive rail system Spread out population throughout Western Pennsylvania Reputation as smoky, industrial city No location for true “Olympic Park” (London, Beijing Olympic Green)
Opportunities:
Build profile as world-class city Massive private investment in city (businesses, sports venues, hotels, etc.) Necessitate building of needed transport infrastructure Once-in-a-lifetime Games for the people of Western Pennsylvania
How You Can Get Involved
To make our Olympic dreams a reality, the first thing we need is people. We need people with experience in marketing, finance, engineering, communications, hospitality, architecture, local government, web design, sales, and more. An Olympic bid requires expertise in practically every field under the sun. Once you know how you can make an impact on our bid team, by all means get involved! Tell us what you can bring to the table, and together we’ll figure out your place in the bidding process. And encourage others that may be interested in our efforts to get involved as well. You can stay connected with the bid efforts by e-mailing us at
[email protected], or by following us on Twitter at twitter.com/inspirepgh. More than anything else, we need ideas. Even if you can’t become a “part of the team,” we will always take feedback on venue plans, transport ideas, communication with local government and the USOC, etc. Our goal is a lofty one: bringing the Olympic Games, the ultimate hosting prize, to the people of Pittsburgh. We are the underdog, but our plan is strong, we just need the support of great people to execute it. Inspired yet?