The city of Los Angeles was formally awarded the 2028 summer Olympics after a unanimous vote by the International Olympics Committee last month. While L.A. was originally bidding for the 2024 Games, the end result certainly works in the city’s favor, giving us a generous 11 years to prepare.
Los Angeles has already begun the prepping process with major improvements to infrastructure and housing for the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad, which will kick off July 21, 2028. Here are the top signs of progress happening now:
LAX EXPANSION
Earlier this year, city officials broke ground on a new $1.6-billion terminal at Los Angeles International Airport, the second busiest airport in the United States. An expansion of the Tom Bradley International Terminal, the project will add 12 new gates designed to accommodate the largest commercial planes and provide space for idle planes. The five-story concourse will also be filled with lounges, retail, and dining as well as serve as a buffer zone while other terminals are being upgraded. These improvements are expected to facilitate international travel at LAX, helping athletes and fans get to Los Angeles for the Games.
MILES OF METRO RAILS
While the project began in 2008, the L.A. Metro system continues to expand with the goal of reducing dependency on getting around by car in the city most famous for its traffic. Included in the Olympic bid was the plan to build 98 miles of new rails and have a total of 93 stations with a projected 350,000 daily average boarding. The rail system will span from Long Beach to the San Fernando Valley Sports Park to Downtown L.A., connecting people to the event venues throughout the Olympics.
NEW VENUES
For the 2016 NFL Season, L.A. regained its home football team with the return of the Rams. To celebrate their homecoming, the city began planning and building Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park, a brand new 70,000-person stadium in Inglewood. Costing an estimated $2.66 billion, the new stadium will be home to the Rams as well as serve as a venue for the 2028 Olympics. Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park is expandable to hold 100,000 people and is expected to host the 2028 Games’ opening ceremonies as well as soccer and archery events.
HOTELS ON THE HORIZON
A number of new hotels have recently opened across the city, accommodating guests who wish to stay on the West Side, Downtown, or at the beach. Downtown L.A. is currently undergoing its largest construction boom since the 1920s. In August, the 73-story Wilshire Grand's InterContinental Hotel opened Downtown, making available nearly 900 rooms to those looking to visit L.A. The skyscraper shares the building with nearly 350,000 square feet of office space on the lower 35 floors, enabling the luxurious rooms equipped with floor-to-ceiling windows to feature impeccable surrounding views.
Construction is underway on the $1-billion Oceanwide Plaza, a development in Downtown Los Angeles that will include over 500 condos and 184 hotel rooms in three towers. A few blocks away, another $1-billion mega-development is underway at the four-tower Metropolis community, containing 350 hotel rooms and more than 1,500 condos. Both are scheduled to be completed in 2019.
A transplant from the East Coast, the new Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills brings a taste of New York to the 90210. While much smaller than the InterContinental, with only 119 rooms and 51 suites, the Waldorf Astoria will certainly serve as an attraction to the A-Listers attending the Olympics. With easy access to Beverly Hills shopping, entertainment, and some of the finest dining in the world, this hotel is a high-end luxury and will surely serve as a spot for guests to relax after long days at the games.