Chicago mayor eyes bid for 2016 Olympics

CHICAGO -- Mayor Richard Daley said Wednesday a bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics could be a statewide effort involving sporting venues in cities such as Champaign-Urbana, or a regional bid with Wisconsin and Indiana.

Daley first talked about the possibility of Chicago bidding for the Olympics last July, and last month he said luring a second NFL franchise to the city would make it more worthwhile to build a domed stadium that could also be a component of an Olympics bid.

On Wednesday, at an event announcing the city is becoming a community partner of the U.S. Olympic Committee, Daley said he expects to soon announce the members of an exploratory committee.

That group will examine the experiences of other recent and upcoming hosts, along with determining the kinds of facilities that would have to be built, the transit improvements that would need to be made and the long-term economic benefits, he said.

Daley said a new stadium in Chicago is not a prerequisite for an Olympic bid. The renovated Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears, seats 61,500, while the stadium capacity for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and the 1984 games in Los Angeles was greater than 80,000.

"You have to look at options," Daley said, mentioning Milwaukee, South Bend, Ind. -- home to the University of Notre Dame -- and Champaign-Urbana -- home to the University of Illinois.

"Then you look at how well you [can] improve transportation to Champaign-Urbana, you'd need better transportation to Milwaukee, you'd need better transportation to South Bend," Daley said.

The International Olympic Committee will choose a host for the 2016 Olympics in 2009. The U.S. Olympic Committee has not set a date for choosing any city it might support, said its CEO, Jim Scherr.

Beijing is set to host the 2008 Summer Olympics. London was chosen last July to host the 2012 Olympics.

Daley stressed that he would not want taxpayer money to be diverted from the city's budget to finance the Olympic Games, but he did not detail other funding possibilities.

"This is an opportunity for the city of Chicago to look at -- not to take an answer right now of yes or no," he said.