The Mayor’s Office had no response to Gazette questions about Mayor Martin Walsh’s stance on how a Boston Olympics might impact Jamaica Plain. A spokesperson first referred questions to Boston 2024, the private committee backing the Olympic bid, then did not respond to follow-up questions.
Walsh is a co-signer of the official bid by Boston 2024, a private committee, and traveled to California this week to pitch the bid to the U.S. Olympic Committee.
Via email, the Gazette asked whether Walsh has discussed Franklin Park or Jamaica Plain with Boston 2024 officials, and whether he has read the still-secret bid document. Mayor’s Office spokesperson Kate Norton referred the questions to Boston 2024.
When the Gazette questioned why Boston 2024 would speak for the mayor, and asked if Walsh is now a member of that group, Norton clarified that he is not. However, she did not respond to follow-up questions about whether Walsh has any concerns about JP impacts and whether the bid has satisfied them.
Secrecy about the bid has been a major point of controversy and helped to spawn a local Olympic protest movement.