Our former Editor-in-Chief Sam Feldman has written an excellent feature for this week’s Newcity on the aftermath of Chicago’s failed 2016 bid, some six months after losing to Rio de Janeiro. The remants of Chicago’s plans, plans it hoped would “stir the blood of men,” in the (alleged) words of Daniel Burnham, can especially be seen near the Michael Reese Hospital campus in Bronzeville, site of the proposed Olympic Village, and Washington Park, the site of the proposed 80,000 seat Olympic Stadium. Sam discovers what community developers, students, government officials, preservationists, and others have planned for these places now.

Well, it’s all over.

Chicago was the first city to be eliminated as a candidate to host the 2016 Olympics by the International Olympic Committee this morning in Copenhagen. Tokyo was eliminated minutes later, and the contest is down to Madrid and Rio de Janeiro has gone to Rio de Janeiro. The result is a disappointment to many, but a relief to many others. People gathered in Daley Plaza to watch the announcement were so shocked that some began blaming Michael Jordan’s lack of enthusiasm. Whatever the IOC’s motives for their decision were (and there are quite a few possibilities), it seems unlikely that all they needed was more star power.