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Tuesday, October 15, 2002

By Gary Rotstein, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

Pittsburgh appears to have won the race for the 2005 summer Senior Olympics. The event would bring more than 10,000 athletes 50 and over to the city for two weeks of competition.

The board of the National Senior Games Association voted tentatively Saturday to accept a local organizing committee's application to host the games, which are held every two years.

The association and officials from UPMC Health System, who head the local committee, are withholding a formal announcement until a contract has been negotiated and signed.

"Our expectations are hopeful and high," said Dr. Peter Cohen, director of senior sports and fitness for UPMC's sports medicine program.

The local committee, which also includes representatives of the city of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, University of Pittsburgh and Greater Pittsburgh Convention & Visitors Bureau, must also deliver $25,000 to the association to seal the bid. That's on top of $5,000 previously sent as an application fee.

Pittsburgh was one of three finalists from among 19 cities that submitted bids to host the games in either 2005 or 2007. Louisville, Ky., or Des Moines, Iowa, will be the 2007 host. The 2003 games will be in theHampton Roads area of Virginia from May to June.

Cohen said he could not confirm any decision about Pittsburgh by the board of the association, which is based in Baton Rouge, La., but he said he expected to receive a sample contract this week and discuss it with other committee members.

Phil Godfrey, vice president of the association, who toured the city with other Senior Olympics representatives in July, said Pittsburgh, Louisville and Des Moines were all qualified to host the games.

"We don't want to make any announcement until we have this letter of intent signed. We don't think it's appropriate to the city that wants it and didn't get it, until we have this agreement wrapped up," Godfrey said. He noted that any problems negotiating details with one of the cities chosen could put another city back in the running.

Officials from Louisville and Des Moines may have made the association's 2005 decision about Pittsburgh easy.

Godfrey said Des Moines was more interested in hosting the 2007 games because scheduled construction of facilities that could be useful for the event may not be completed by 2005.

Andy Jugan, executive director of the Greater Louisville Sports Commission, said that city also preferred being the site in 2007, because in 2005 it is already hosting the Breeders Cup, a major horse racing event.

During the Pittsburgh site visit in July, local officials showed off facilities at the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, Schenley Park and North Park that could be used for the 18 events. PNC Park and Heinz Field might also be used to a lesser extent.

Officials have estimated that the Senior Olympics could bring in 12,000 athletes, another 20,000 visitors and about $36 million in economic impact to the local lodging and food industries and other beneficiaries.

To operate as a nonprofit corporation, the local organizing committee may have to attract $1.8 million in corporate and other donations to cover the cost of the games. It would need to organize some 2,000 volunteers to assist in the event.