Patrick Kane described Chicago as “a little New York” and said it boasts numerous stadiums, neighborhoods and restaurants that anyone from any place in the world would surely enjoy. Although the Chicago Blackhawk is aiming to compete at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, he couldn’t help but advocate how perfect Chicago would be to host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.

When members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) evaluate the four finalists for the 2016 bid on Oct. 2, the top item on its list will be the same as in years past: venues.

Patrick Ryan, chairman and CEO of the Chicago 2016 Committee, ensured that Kane’s city of play will outshine the other bid cities with its Olympic campus alone.

“This is a playground for sport itself and celebration,” Ryan said of Chicago. “It’s unique in that it’s situated right on the lake by parks, and it has sport and culture integrated. Our museum campus is right there.”

Ryan said Chicago would benefit from its proposed venues over time, in that many of them will create new developments for the city in the long-term.

The Olympic Village would be situated on a private beach just off Lake Michigan on the city’s South Side, and a brand new high-rise apartment complex would be built for athletes. According to Ryan, 91 percent of the athletes would be within 15 minutes or less from their competition venues.

“It’s going to have such incredible proximity to the venues,” Ryan said. “Walking distance from the venues at McCormick Place. Walking distance to the venues at Olympic Island, just east of McCormick Place. Walking distance to Soldier Field for football.”

For more than 100 years, the proposed Olympic Village has been an industrial and commercial site surrounded by a low-income, racially mixed population, according to Ryan. Following the Games, the village would be converted into a retail and residential neighborhood, offering affordable housing.

“This is an opportunity to redevelop a very important part of the city,” Ryan said. “A tremendous social contribution to our community. A tremendous social contribution to a neighborhood that will be improved.”

Meanwhile, Washington Park would be home to Olympic Stadium (which would host track and field events, as well as opening and closing ceremonies) and the Olympic Aquatics Center. Less than two miles from the grave of four-time gold medalist Jesse Owens, Ryan said these facilities would serve a post-Games use for the city, whether it be for sporting events or otherwise.

McCormick Place would be transformed into Lake Michigan Sports Complex, hosting 11 different sports, including wrestling and volleyball. With 61,500 seats, Soldier Field would showcase soccer, and the United Center would be renamed Chicago Arena, hosting competitions in basketball, gymnastics, trampoline and handball.

“I’ve never seen an Olympic stadium for gymnastics, but when we have our U.S. Championships, we’ll have it somewhere just like United Center,” said Wes Haagensen, an Illinois alumnus who is training for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

But 2008 bronze medalist and Illinois men’s gymnastics associate head coach Justin Spring remains a little hesitant on whether Chicago should use its funds to build all of these new structures.

“We are going to need to build some new venues, so that’s going to create jobs,” Spring said. “But the Olympics are expensive.”

Haagensen thinks it’s necessary.

“I think it’s time now for our home court to basically show the world that we are the best athletic country in the world, and what better place to do it than in Chicago,” Haagensen said.