Boston 2024, a private group spearheading the city’s bid to host the summer Olympics, unveiled an updated proposal Monday morning. One major change affecting JP would be that a pool is no longer being envisioned for Franklin Park.
Looking at the new proposal from a city-wide perspective, the ambitious plan calls for the construction of two entirely new Boston neighborhoods.
The proposal, dubbed 2.0, outlined plans for a temporary Olympic stadium that would seat 69,000, and would be completely repurposed or recycled after the games. Adjacent to the stadium, in “Midtown,” are plans for 4,000 permanent units of housing, including 500 affordable units.
David Manfredi, co-chairman of Boston2024’s master planning committee, said in a video of Monday’s presentation released by the Globe that the Olympic village would be at Columbia Point near UMass Boston. The housing units would be converted to dormitories for that university following the games.
“These plans are durable. They will will leverage the catalytic power of the Olympic games to make a better Boston, to make a better commonwealth,” said Manfredi.
Of the 33 total venues listed in the proposal, 28 are in either Boston, Cambridge or Somerville, while the remaining are spread over the commonwealth.
If the bid goes through, Jamaica Plain’s Franklin Park would be home to the pentathlon and equestrian events, as Jamaica Plain News reported earlier on Monday.
Christine Poff, executive director of the Franklin Park Coalition, said she would like a more detailed diagram of the plans for the park in addition to the graphical rendering released Monday.
“We think most of the plan has remained the same, except for moving the pool out of the park,” said Poff. “We were hoping to see an updated diagram to know for sure what is planned for Franklin Park. We will go back to Boston2024 to ask for this.”
The US Olympic Committee must select its bid for the host city by September. Boston remains divided on the issue, with the Globe reporting current public opinion hovering around 50 percent in favor.
Residents will have the chance to contribute to the ongoing debate at Tuesday’s Olympic community meeting in Jamaica Plain. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at English High School, 144 McBride St. At least some protesters are expected, including a new group formed to catalyze residents near Franklin Park against the bid.
