VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 2022 Commonwealth Games bid committee boasts a business plan to bring a lasting legacy and infrastructure without hitting local pocketbooks says David Black.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 CanadaB次元官网网址檚 turn and within Canada itB次元官网网址檚 our turn. Vancouver had the 2010 Olympics and got billions of dollars B次元官网网址� so the investment should go outside of the Lower Mainland now,B次元官网网址� ,B次元官网网址� says Black, a prominent Oak Bay businessman and owner of Black Press. B次元官网网址淲e put together a very good Games plan. WeB次元官网网址檝e been through this before. WeB次元官网网址檝e got all the facilities and the know how. Of course we have a huge volunteer base so it makes it a lot easier this time.B次元官网网址�
When Durban, South Africa backed out as host of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Black (owner of Oak Bay B次元官网网址B次元官网网址� parent company Black Press) renewed his bid to have Victoria host the event. Victoria hosted the Games in 1994.
B次元官网网址淲e havenB次元官网网址檛 won the rights yet, but weB次元官网网址檙e close. We have to have commitments on the money by the end of June and weB次元官网网址檙e close to that. We have practical, prudent, modest budget B次元官网网址� but itB次元官网网址檚 more than enough to do a wonderful job,B次元官网网址� Black said.
While withholding the overall bid budget, he says thereB次元官网网址檚 very little contribution requested from locals in terms of financing.
The village at UVic needs to be twice as big, which means building $100 million worth of new housing there, he said. That would create 4,000 athlete beds which equates to 2,000 student beds post-Games.
B次元官网网址淲e hope to build $80 million in low-income housing in Greater Victoria. We need that to house officials but after that month of competition is over that will go to low income housing. Another $80,000 would enhance athletic facilities.
B次元官网网址淎ll of it would be in full-time use afterwords by athletes just like Commonwealth is now,B次元官网网址� Black said.
The deadline for a bidding package looms at the end of the month, but Black is confident about garnering required funding, federally and provincially to host the event.
During the 1994 Commonwealth Games, left $15 million to $20 million in legacy funding still in use today, he said.
B次元官网网址淓very year they pay a lot of money to support CanadaB次元官网网址檚 athletes,B次元官网网址� Black said. B次元官网网址淲e have a lot of national training centres here now partly as a result of the Games in B次元官网网址�94. On top of that, it was a huge morale booster for the town.B次元官网网址�
