New stadium plan gives city an Olympic chance.

Just when it seemed that New York City's bid for the 2012 Olympics had been scuttled, a plan for a new Mets stadium in Queens has rejuvenated hope that the Big Apple can once again be a serious contender for the games.

Announcing on Sunday its intention to construct a $675 million, privately funded, 45,000-seat baseball stadium adjacent to its current home at Shea Stadium, the Mets said that they would allow the facility to be used to host the Olympics.

The new stadium would be ready for the 2009 season and, if the city is successful in its bid to host the Olympics, could begin a roughly $250 million conversion to an 80,000-seat arena that would serve as the city's main Olympic facility. The conversion would begin at the end of the Mets' 2011 season and be partially funded by $142 million that the city's Olympic committee, NYC2012, has raised.

The city would also have to compensate the Mets with an as yet unannounced sum for the use of the stadium. For the 2012 season, the Mets claim they would need to relocate, possibly to Yankee stadium.

Although the project will be privately funded, according to a city press release, as part of the deal the Mets are asking for $85 million from the city and $75 million from the state to fund infrastructure at the site.

The city's plans to host the Olympics in a proposed West Side stadium for the Jets fell through last week when Assemblyman Sheldon Silver and Senator Joseph Bruno abstained from voting to approve $300 million in state funding for the project.

On Sunday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg revealed that he had been working behind-the-scenes with the two politicians in a bid to keep the city's Olympic hopes alive.

"Over the last few days, working together, we have found common ground and we did it because we all have a common goal: to bring the Olympics to New York City in 2012," said Bloomberg.

"In a show of unprecedented good corporate citizenship, the New York Mets have agreed to allow NYC2012, the city and the State to use their new stadium should New York City be designated as Host City."

New York Mets chairman, Fred Wilpon, said, "We have worked towards a new stadium for nearly a decade and it is gratifying that our past efforts have allowed us to respond quickly to the mayor and governor's request to partner with the city and state on this important public-private initiative."

In a report issued by the International Olympic Committee, New York seemed to be leading candidate cities, Madrid and Moscow, but slightly behind frontrunners, Paris and London.

The report could find no fault with front-runner, Paris, and described London's bid as "very high quality," a description that many felt put that city just slightly ahead of New York, whose bid was described as just "high quality." Moscow seemed like it was in last place after the IOC described its bid as suffering from a "lack of detailed planning" that "made it difficult for the Commission to evaluate the project."

Concerning New York's bid, the IOC cited the uncertainty surrounding the construction of an Olympic stadium as its main weakness. The committee also cited potential concerns as to the construction of press and media facilities.

As part of the new deal with the Mets, the city will construct a main press and international broadcast center just across the street from the stadium in Willets Point. The new stadium is located 15 minutes from the planned Olympic Village in Long Island City.

Bloomberg stated that the new stadium plans were consistent with the city's plans for the development of Willets Point, for which a Request For Proposals has just recently been completed.

He added, "regardless of whether or not we are chosen [as the Host City] we will continue our efforts to develop the area."