Albany, NY – Assemblymember Robert Carroll (D/WF-44) and former Assemblymember Billy Jones joined Governor Kathy Hochul for her Irish Heritage celebration on Wednesday. At the event, and at the “Fireside Chat at Politico’s New York Agenda: Albany Summit,” Governor Hochul expressed her strong support and intention to create an exploratory committee on a joint NYC-Lake Placid Winter Olympic Games.

Assemblymember Carroll issued the following statement in response:

“I applaud Governor Kathy Hochul for supporting the creation of a New York City–Lake Placid exploratory committee for a future joint Winter Olympic Games. A New York City–Lake Placid Games is a generational opportunity for New York State. New York City and Lake Placid already have the world-class infrastructure needed to host the Games, and Milan–Cortina has shown that a partnership between a global city and a historic mountain town can work beautifully.

For the past several years, I’ve been proud to help advance this vision. I have worked with the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA), local leaders in both the Adirondacks and New York City, and stakeholders across the sports world to develop the concept of a dual-host Games that builds on New York’s unique strengths. I’ve introduced legislation in the State Assembly to make New York more competitive in attracting major international sporting events, including proposals to create incentives and streamline planning for events like the Olympic Games. I’ve also helped bring national attention to the idea through interviews, public events, and written proposals outlining how New York City’s iconic arenas and Lake Placid’s legacy Olympic facilities could work together to host a sustainable and exciting Winter Games.

With Governor Hochul’s leadership and the creation of this exploratory committee, New York now has the opportunity to seriously evaluate this bold vision and take the next step toward bringing the Winter Olympics back to New York State.”

Assemblymember Carroll has emphasized that New York already possesses the core infrastructure needed to host the Winter Games. New York City offers world-class indoor arenas capable of hosting all ice events, while Lake Placid’s modernized Olympic legacy venues are fully equipped for alpine, Nordic, and sliding sports. The proposed exploratory committee would not commit the state to hosting the Games, but would instead provide a structured, transparent process to determine whether pursuing a bid makes sense for New Yorkers.

To further inform that work, Assemblymember Carroll traveled to Italy on February 13th to observe firsthand how a Winter Olympic Games operated across multiple host locations, drawing lessons from Milan–Cortina. New York City and Lake Placid are about as far apart as Milan and Cortina, making these games especially relevant as a model for dual-host Winter Games.

Assemblymember Carroll has long been a strong advocate for the role of culture and sports in economic development and community life. He has helped secure millions of dollars in state funding for cultural and athletic organizations across New York State and has advanced innovative sports-related legislation, including a bill making Team USA athletes training for the Olympics in New York eligible for in-state tuition at SUNY and CUNY. That legislation was signed into law by Governor Hochul in November.

In December, Assemblymember Carroll also published an op-ed in the New York Daily News arguing that New York could help lead a new era in the Olympic movement – one focused on sustainability, fiscal responsibility, and maximizing existing infrastructure rather than costly new construction. The concept pairs iconic New York City venues for ice events with Lake Placid’s historic and recently upgraded Olympic sites, offering a uniquely New York approach to hosting the Winter Games.