An Early Supporter - Blair Kamin

One of the nation's premier architecture critics is clearly "on board" with Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics. Blair Kamin, the Chicago Tribune's architecture critic wrote a fantastic article (login required) about all of the fantastic structures and improvements that a Chicago Olympics would bring. In his recent article Kamin writes:

"With Mayor Richard Daley and civic leaders gearing up to make a bid for Chicago to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, the possibilities for making dreams on the city's priority list come true are dazzling."

"Forget, for a moment, Daley's unlikely trial balloon of building a domed mega-stadium that eventually would host a second Chicago NFL team. Think of the other big-ticket public works the Games could spur: New subsidized housing, to be built as an Olympic village. A proposed West Loop Transportation Center linking buses, CTA and Metra trains and high-speed intercity rail, which would move spectators around. Perhaps, if U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and south suburban leaders can twist Daley's arm, a third airport that would provide a new gateway for visitors."

Kamin clearly thinks that Chicago can succeed at pulling together the political, business and community support to get these improvements approved and funded in order to make a successful bid. I'm glad to see Kamin on board early - he has been an influential critic of Chicago public works and architecture. His influence on Chicago's readers and leaders will be an important component of driving support for the Olympic bid.