With questions on Olympic bid swirling, residents divided at Dorchester meeting
Boston’s Olympic bid remains locked in a holding pattern. The lack of progress has started to chafe skeptical residents and officials alike.
Each month, new polling results show where organizing committee Boston 2024 stands in its attempts to gain public support. To this point the results haven’t been good, and urgency to secure support may have notched up earlier this week when a United States Olympic Committee official said it was “no guarantee’’ that the Boston bid would go forward.
And a new set of Olympic plans, dubbed “Version 2.0’’ by Boston 2024 CEO Rich Davey, will come at some point in June. The group set that timeline last week after Gov. Charlie Baker expressed his own frustrations with the lack of details. Boston 2024 has for months, when pressed for more information about the plans it released in January, said they are “proof of concept’’ ideas that will change.
The new plans may help to break the pattern. Until then, meetings about the bid carry on.
Davey and others associated with the bid met with city councilors Monday, who had a series of questions. Opposition group No Boston Olympics held its own meeting Monday night—at which at-large city councilor Ayanna Pressley spoke, saying she had concerns about the bid and wanted to see detailed plans on a variety of topics. (In an interview, Pressley told Boston.com she spoke by invitation and that she is not decided either way, describing her position as “Yes, if.’’)
And the city held its fifth monthly meeting on the Olympics Tuesday night in Dorchester. The meeting brought both supporters and opponents of the bid to a crowd of about 150, somewhere near half of whom were from Dorchester, according to a show of hands at the start of the meeting.
Those opposed to the bid expressed concerns about misplaced civic priorities and housing issues. Several audience members said they felt hosting the Olympics will lead to gentrification and residential displacement.
Those in support of the bid—who have been a minority in the polls, but were well represented Tuesday night—spoke about civic pride and a love of sports, and some said they felt the Olympics could help the city develop.
Early on, the meeting brought some tension.
Dorchester resident Robert Hanson kicked off the Q&A session by stating his concerns with the bid. When it comes to promises about the 2024 Summer Games, he said, “Personally, I don’t believe you’re going to follow through on them.’’
Davey responded by talking about reforms passed by the International Olympic Committee last year, passed in part to keep the costs of hosting the Olympics low. Hanson stepped back to the microphone in an attempt to respond.
John FitzGerald, a Boston Redevelopment Authority official who is moderating the city Olympic meetings, asked Hanson—who was the first to speak—to return to his seat and allow others to ask their questions.
But Hanson stayed near the microphone, signaling for a timeout with his hands like a basketball player. Some members of the crowd grew restless. They started yelling for him to step away. “Show some respect!’’ somebody yelled. Another man came to the front of the room and stood in front of Hanson, holding a Boston 2024 sign in front of him. Others seemed supportive of letting Hanson speak. “This is part of the problem!’’ somebody said. FitzGerald tried to gain control of the situation as Davey looked on.
After a couple of minutes of shouting, the testy moment ended when a man stepped past Hanson, up to the mic, and started talking. He was supportive of the bid.
Past Olympics meeting coverage:
2/24: Condon School (South Boston)
4/28: Roxbury Community College
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