nfortunately, some past host cities have built massive structures only to see them become eyesores during ensuing years. To avoid that, LA28 — the committee that successfully bid for Los Angeles to host in 2028 — is renovating sites the city used when it hosted the 1932 and 1984 Olympics.
“We’re proud to host the Los Angeles 2028 Games in some of the greatest stadiums and arenas ever built,” says the committee’s chair, Casey Wasserman .
The committee is following a model that builds Olympic venues around the city, as opposed to forcing their city around the games. “Choosing from spectacular existing venues, wherever they are, rather than building new permanent or temporary stadiums, achieves more than $150 million in savings and new revenue,” Wasserman says.
Where the city builds new facilities, officials will build them so that they can meet the local community’s post-Olympic needs.
LA28 is partnering with AECOM, a U.S. infrastructure consulting firm, to best redesign the preexisting buildings to be world class for the games. “Just as athletes push the boundaries of performance in pursuit of excellence, our team brings deep technical expertise and relentless innovation to deliver world-class infrastructure,” says AECOM chief executive Troy Rudd .
Bringing jobs to Los Angeles
The Olympics planning includes mass transit and an airport expansion (already in the works). The preparation is creating new, local jobs for city residents. Wasserman says that almost all of LA28’s hiring and direct spending will continue to be local, and its construction contracts will require local sourcing. One study, conducted by the University of California, Riverside, estimates that the Olympics will bring in 79,000 full-time jobs and generate $167 million of direct revenue for the city.
The LA28 plans are already popular in Los Angeles, where more than 57% of residents see hosting the games as positive. Known for Hollywood and Silicon Valley to the north, the city is well poised to share cultural offerings with athletes and guests.
“Sport is a powerful convening force, and it is the opportunity of a lifetime to bring the Los Angeles community, the nation and the world together through the Games,” says LA28 Chief Executive Reynold Hoover.
