Mike Clark

Times Columnist

Richard Daley turned 65 this week, but retirement seems to be the last thing on the mind of Chicago's globe-trotting mayor.

As feisty as ever when it comes to deflecting reporters' questions on the various clout and corruption probes that have ensnared some of his associates, Daley continues to move forward with his unique agenda.

Some parts of it are commendable. He has made Chicago's public schools better, though he admits more work needs to be done. He has been a forceful advocate for getting handguns off the streets and his support of environmental causes makes him one of the greenest public officials in America.

But Daley is a tragic hero. His record on hiring is as bad as could be. Chicago remains very much a place where it's not what you know but whom you know when it comes to getting a city job or contract.

And the economic boom that has revitalized every North Side neighborhood from Lincoln Park to Wicker Park has largely bypassed the poorer communities on the West and South Sides.

Though Daley shows no signs of leaving politics any time soon, it's a safe bet that he is thinking about his legacy. It has a chance to be more than the current mixed bag, should Chicago beat out Rio de Janeiro and others in the chase for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Now that the U.S. Olympic Committee has endorsed Chicago's bid, it has moved from the realm of pipe dream to genuine possibility. It has the potential to ruin Chicago's finances. But it also has the potential to do what Daley says: Make a world-class city even better.

The way to do that is not to throw more business toward Daley's already well-off political allies -- though that will surely happen.

What must be done is to leverage the Games so that they improve the quality of life for ordinary Chicagoans for decades to come by driving economic growth to different parts of the city.

Much depends on the fate of two major components of the Olympic plan on the South Side: the stadium to be built in Washington Park and the Olympic Village to be built on air rights near McCormick Place.

The stadium would draw thousands of athletes, media, fans and support personnel to a part of the city rarely visited by tourists.

After the Games, it would be converted to a 5,000-seat venue that could continue to generate traffic to the neighborhood. The Olympic Village would become mixed-income housing after the Games.

The question here is whether the plan can be executed without going over budget and whether the stadium and housing are legacies of Daley's virtue (big-picture vision) or his vice (cronyism).

The opinions are those of the columnist. He can be reached at mclark@nwitimes.com.