Bring Olympians to Chicago via the third airport

Friday, OctoberBring Olympians to Chicago via the third airport
By U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. Times Guest Columnist
I support Chicago's quest for gold to host the 2016 Olympics. I applaud Mayor Richard Daley for broadening his vision to include the South Side. It's about time.

But I wonder if this is a sincere proposal, or more political posturing.
When the International Olympic Committee begins reviewing and rating potential hosts, it considers at least two critical factors:

* A city's logistical and transportation capacity.
* The "legacy," or long-lasting benefit, that the Olympics leave.
All Olympics pose huge logistical and infrastructure challenges. The Games attract tens of thousands of athletes and journalists as well as political leaders, celebrities and fans from around the planet. Most need to get in and get out, on time, with maximum security and minimal disruption, anytime around the clock.

That means an incredible network of road, transit and air lift capability. With Chicago's two airports already at capacity, its application would be greatly enhanced by a third airport, as some planners already acknowledge. The third airport would provide low-cost service and a southern gateway to the city.

Vancouver, which is hosting the 2010 winter games, beat out Austria and Korea by committing to build new passenger gates and expanded cargo facilities at its airport, specifically for the Games.

Legacy is another important component.
Chicago recently agreed to relocate the Olympic stadium because, in part, another stadium next to the renovated Soldier Field provided little legacy.

IOC prefers venues that revitalize older, abandoned areas -- such as the waterfront in Sydney, Australia -- or convert an Olympic Village into a new university or pubic facility.

To that end, Chicago should to consider the old USX South Works site for an Olympic Village. For those unfamiliar with the site, it's a beautiful but vacant 560-acre South Side treasure, with two miles of lakefront, a breathtaking view of downtown and nearby rail access.

Its one deficiency is good road access to downtown. If the city were to extend South Lakeshore Drive onto the site -- as I have advocated for 11 years -- it might score big-time legacy points for improving infrastructure and redeveloping a blighted area.

After 17 years of largely ignoring the South Side, the Mayor, who soon faces re-election, is suddenly talking about the economic needs in black communities.

But the South Side needs more than a stadium that collapses after two weeks. It need investment, hotels, roads, trains, and an airport. It needs physical education programs in schools so that today's students can train and prepare to compete for gold in 2016.

In recent days, the mayor has proposed a round stadium with ticket prices so expensive that you can't get in, and a big-box ordinance with wages so low you can't take off. That keeps the South Side in an economic shape that's much too small and weak.

U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., represents the 2nd Congressional District in Illinois. The opinion expressed in this column is the writer's and not necessarily that of The Times.