Financially leveraging Olympic moment

Los Angeles Councilmember Tim McOsker convinced the 2028 Olympic Organizing Committee that Sailing should be in his neighborhood of San Pedro, claiming superior winds and how 10,000 spectators could buy tickets for the venue.

His argument led to six of the 10 events located in the Port of Los Angeles, with the four board events in Long Beach, deemed by most as the preferred venue and home to Sailing at the 1984 Olympics. Training at the LA venue has revealed a very right-side favored course – not be great for sailors but excellent for Angelenos.

That’s because, due to the Olympic site selection, $66.5 million in construction contracts has been approved for the Port of Los Angeles to add new permanent parking and expanded road infrastructure along the waterfront area.

“By improving our roads and expanding pedestrian spaces, we’re keeping our Harbor community safe and improving their quality of life by investing in the public spaces they use every day,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

“As Los Angeles prepares to welcome the world, we’re leveraging this moment to deliver lasting benefits for Angelenos. I want to thank our Harbor Commission for advancing this critical funding and being a constant champion of our Harbor community.”

The Harbor Boulevard and 22nd Street project will develop a 17.5-acre parking area that will feature up to 2,100 new parking stalls. The new parking lot will include a public restroom, pedestrian walkways connecting to Harbor Boulevard and Miner Street, and a trolley stop.

“These projects reflect our continued commitment to the LA Waterfront as our City prepares to welcome visitors from around the world for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “They will also enhance public access to West Harbor and our active, visitor-serving waterfront, creating lasting benefits for generations to come.”

Another portion of Harbor Boulevard will be reconfigured and expanded under the project. As one of the main thoroughfares along the LA Waterfront in San Pedro, the popular roadway will be expanded to two travel lanes in each direction from the S.P. Slip to 22nd Street. A landscaped, scenic pedestrian walkway will be added to this section as part of the project.

The construction contract was awarded to general contractor Griffith Company. Work on the project is expected to begin this November and be completed by January 2028.

In a separate action, the Harbor Commission also approved a $3.7 million construction contract to add a restroom building and shade structures on the west end of Wilmington Waterfront Park. Work by project contractor CALTEC Corp. is expected to start this fall and be completed in early 2028.

The total construction award for both projects is $70.2 million with a total project cost of $86.4 million—all funded by the Port’s Public Access Investment Plan, an initiative that allocates 10% of the Port’s operating income toward new public access projects.

Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Sailing Program (July 16-28):
First Week – July 16-20
Men’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class – Long Beach, CA
Women’s Kiteboard – Formula Kite Class – Long Beach, CA
Men’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL – Long Beach, CA
Women’s Windsurfing – iQFOiL – Long Beach, CA

Second Week – July 23-28
Men’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 7 – Los Angeles, CA
Women’s One Person Dinghy – ILCA 6 – Los Angeles, CA
Mixed Two Person Dinghy – 470 – Los Angeles, CA
Men’s Skiff – 49er – Los Angeles, CA
Women’s Skiff – 49erFX – Los Angeles, CA
Mixed Multihull – Nacra 17 – Los Angeles, CA

For more details, click here.