Park City Councilor Bill Ciraco is headed to Italy this weekend for fact-finding purposes during the Winter Olympics.
And he plans to attend as a regular spectator in an effort to experience the Games as part of the crowd, something he anticipates will be of importance as Park City begins the early preparations for the 2034 Winter Olympics.
Ciraco is not traveling as part of City Hall’s official delegation and instead crafted his own itinerary. He departs on Sunday and plans to remain in Italy until Feb. 23. Ciraco plans to spend time in the host city of Milan as well as the Italian Alps communities of Cortina d’Ampezzo and Bormio. The two mountain locales resemble Park City in some ways. He will move between Milan and the venue communities with the rest of the crowds.
“It’s because I felt this is the most proximate experience,” he said, comparing his Italian itinerary to someone flying into Salt Lake City for the Games of 2034 and then traveling to the venues.
Ciraco said he believes that someone is best prepared to solve issues if they experience the same challenges.
He will experience the travel between Milan and the mountain venues on trains and buses. He also wants to travel between Cortina d’Ampezzo, a famous mountain resort, and Bormio.
Transportation is one of the top issues at any Games, winter or summer, and Park City officials and the organizers of 2034 are expected to spend significant time in the coming years developing plans for travel between the Salt Lake Valley and the Park City area.
Ciraco said he will also research business trends in central Cortina d’Ampezzo and the hospitality activities that are available after the competitions each day. That could provide ideas about the role Main Street could play in 2034, he said, as he noted a desire for a better business experience during the second Games in Utah.
Ciraco is paying for his own travels. An estimate of the cost was not available. He has never been to a Winter Olympics or a Summer Games.
The first-term city councilor’s trip was booked months ago. He spoke about the Games in Italy during an interview last summer, saying at the time, “the greatest learning opportunity is observational.” He said he would like to return from Italy with ideas about what Park City could replicate in 2034 and what the community should avoid.
City Hall is also sending an official delegation to the Games. Mayor Ryan Dickey will lead the delegation, which will also include Park City Councilor Tana Toly and acting City Manager Jodi Emery. The three will participate in an International Olympic Committee-organized observers program. The City Hall delegation will base itself in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
The Games this month are the first Winter Olympics since the awarding of the event in 2034 to Salt Lake City. The Park City area is crucial to the overall plans for 2034, with Park City Mountain, Deer Valley Resort and the Utah Olympic Park tapped as competition venues. The area will also be critical to the transportation, security and celebration plans.
