NEW YORK, NY June 12, 2005 —

Mayor Michael Bloomberg now says he wants to locate the Olympic stadium in Queens. WNYC's Andrea Bernstein reports.

REPORTER: As recently as a week ago, leaders of New York's 2012 olympic bid argued they had no back up plan if a Manhattan stadium were rejected. But facing defeat in Singapore next month, Mayor Bloomberg and olympic planners worked through the weekend to come up with a Plan B.

That proposal would have the New York Mets building a privately financed new Shea stadium in what is currently the Mets Parking lot. If New York were to get the Olympics, the city and state would each contribute $50 million to convert the new stadium to a much larger Olympics stadium. Mayor Bloomberg said that isn't what he hoped to do.

MAYOR BLOOMBERG: We always had a policy of trying to pay for the olympics totally with private money and we have gone off that here.

REPORTER: Bloomberg maintained the state and city subsidies for a west side stadium, by contrast, were earmarked to convert the stadium to a convention center. The Mets have agreed to vacate their new stadium in 2012, if necessary, and say they'll play in Yankees stadium that year, instead. Bloomberg said the Governor and State legislative leaders have already agreed to fund the olympic stadium, and he doesn't anticipate any problems getting necessary approvals. For WNYC, I'm Andrea Bernstein.