Pittsburgh queried on hosting 2024 Summer Olympics

Created on Wednesday, 20 February 2013 17:32 Last Updated on Wednesday, 20 February 2013 17:49 Published on Thursday, 21 February 2013 07:00 Written by Associated Press Hits: 871

 PITTSBURGH (AP) — The U.S. Olympic Committee wants to know if Pittsburgh might be interested in hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics.

The committee says that 35 letters were sent out Monday seeking to gauge interest. The nation's 25 largest cities got the letter, along with Pittsburgh and nine others.

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl says there would be "extraordinary" challenges to submit a formal bid, but that he will seek community input about the offer. The letter suggests that hosting the event would require a budget of more than $3 billion.

The USOC says the letter is just an initial step in evaluating a potential bid, not a guarantee they will bid for the 2024 Games.

The U.S. hasn't hosted the Summer Olympics since Atlanta in 1996.