Paris’ bid for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games received a boost Thursday as the regional council of Ile de France expectedly passed a resolution backing the bid.
The council of the region surrounding Paris voted 136-37 in favour of a bid, with four abstentions.
Jean-Paul Huchon, president of Ile de France, said that conditions are better than ever for Paris to bid for the Olympics.
Less than a month ago the city hall of Paris council voted to support a 2024 bid.
Should Paris win the bid, the city may need a new swimming pool, an Olympic Village and a media centre. The infrastructure budget for hosting the Games has been estimated at three billion euros with operational costs of 3.2 billion euros.
The French National Olympic Committee now has to formally declare its candidacy to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) before September 15. Boston, Rome and Hamburg are also bidding for the 2024 Games, and Budapest expressed interest while meeting with the IOC in Lausanne Thursday.
Bid Chief Bernard Lapasset hinted that an official bid announcement would not come before the conclusion of the Baku 2015 European Games – those closing ceremonies are set for June 28. Last month he said that the ideal setting for the announcement would be at the IOC’s all-members session scheduled in Kuala Lumpur July 31.
A final decision regarding the 2024 host will be made in 2017.
Paris failed in its bids for the 1992, 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games – but has hosted twice before in 1900 and 1924.
