The creation of a new housing facility is another exhibit for Utah’s case to host another Winter Olympics.
Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation is creating affordable housing for athletes, coaches and staff. The foundation’s President and CEO Collin Hilton says the facility is a statement about Utah’s potential to host another Winter Olympics.
“We’re quite proud of the fact that we’re not just having our venues open but we’re adding, in this case housing services for athletes and staff operating these facilities. Nobody has really figured out how to keep the venues open and operating as training facilities and competition facilities but we’re adding to it.” Hilton said, “That is, we think, a great statement around the world right now. Countries are having a hard time even bidding on hosting (an Olympic) games and we’re showing that we’re not only using them but expanding upon them.”
The 146-bed facility has an estimated July 2019 completion date. Hilton says they may build another facility to act as an Olympic Village for athletes competing in the Wasatch Back.
“It would basically double. It would be essentially the same concept of another four-story building adding another 125-150 additional beds.”
Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation has been working as part of a committee to bring the games back to Utah.
“We’ve been catching-up about once a month. We’re doing all the right things, highlighting stories like this of how our venues are being actively used and added to.” Hilton continued, “Our efforts are at this point are just standing back and waiting. Waiting for the USOC (United Sates Olympic Committee) to have a process.”
Hilton says their target date is now the 2030 Olympic games.
“That is the current target. We know that there’s still troubles with people bidding on 2026 but again the issue with ’26 is two years before Los Angeles has a guaranteed summer games in ’28. So, our focus is on ’30. We’re working with the USOC that now has a new leader.” Hilton said, “We’re in a bit of a waiting pattern to see the actual process steps of whether they’ll do a dual-award in September of 2019, or whether they’ll do a separate process. So, we’re waiting to see where that goes.”