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In this photo released by Rio 2016 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, youths form the number 1,000 to mark the number of days before the start of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games inside Mangueirao stadium in Belem, Brazil, Friday, Nov. 8, 2013. (AP Photo/Alex Ferro, Rio 2016 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games)

(AP)

BOSTON -- A group of prominent community members in Boston is looking to enter a bid for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, reports the Boston Globe. The group is joining other existing organizations like the Boston 2024 Organizing Committee, all of whom have the same goal.

John Fish, chairman of Suffolk Construction, is leading the initiative. Fish told the Globe that his group met with a delegation of the United States Olympic Committee in October and went on a tour of potential Olympics event sites in Boston.

In addition, former governor and presidential candidate Mitt Romney has been consulted by the Fish-led group on the bid. Romney, who headed the 2002 Salt Lake City winter games, told the Globe that hosting an Olympics would be "an amazing undertaking," citing the transportation changes, fundraising and marketing efforts that would come with hosting the Olympics.

Others involved in the independent group are Putnam Investments CEO Bob Reynolds, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, former Massachusetts transportation secretary Jeff Mullan and former Boston Police commissioner Ed Davis, reports the Globe.

A lot would have to happen before the Olympics could descend on Boston, however. Boston would need to have "at least three new major structures, in or around the city," along with an aquatic center and "an Olympic village to house roughly 15,000 athletes and coaches," reports the Globe.

Not everyone is on board with this undertaking. Mayor Tom Menino told WBUR in March that he would be concerned about the costs of putting in a bid. "Just to apply, to be considered costs $6-8 million -- not refundable either," he told the radio station. "I think it's a far-fetched idea."

The public policy research group Pioneer Institute, which doesn't hold an official position on the bid, also recommends exercising caution when it comes to Boston potentially hosting the games.

"Our view is that any effort to land the Olympics should meet three criteria: it should build the brand of the entire region; it should increase the quality of services currently being provided to residents; and the improvements to services, especially regarding transportation, must be maintained over time," said Jim Stergios, Executive Director of the Pioneer Institute. "The history of world games, whether the Olympics or the World Cup, is replete with overbuilt, underutilized and sometimes even abandoned facilities."

The Olympics' official website says being a host city can "considerably change a community, its image and its infrastructure. Through its scope and profile, the Olympic Games provide major opportunities for positive improvement and significant legacy. These opportunities can include environmental, economic and social development, as well as sporting and urban development."

Earlier this month, Gov. Deval Patrick signed a bill that called for a commission to look in to a potential Olympics bid. According to BostInno, the commission will determine whether the city "can handle the steep influx of athletes, officials, and spectators in terms of 'infrastructure, transportation, lodging, locations for events, costs, benefits and other applicable factors, as per the bill."

Another group is also looking to bring the Summer 2024 Olympics to Boston, the Boston 2024 Organizing Committee. The committee is lead by Eric Reddy, senior charitable sales manager at Boston-based Tickets-for-Charity, according to the Boston Business Journal. The committee has a Facebook page and website urging Bostonians to contact their elected officials to let them know they want Boston to host the games.

Should Boston decide to bid, the city must apply in 2015 and complete several more steps, including participating in an observer program and workshops, in the following two years. The International Olympic Committee then narrows down the field to the candidate cities. In 2017, candidate cities make their final presentations, and the International Olympic Committee then announces which city will host.