Posted on September 9, 2026
The area launched one of the key urban development projects for LA28, with contracts worth hundreds of millions to refurbish access routes, pedestrian areas and car parks on the LA Waterfront, the future venue for the Olympic events.
Per an official statement out of the Port of Los Angeles, the decision was recently approved by the Board of Harbor Commissioners and will pave the way for a substantial overhaul of roads, pedestrian routes and parking infrastructure across the area. The main package, valued at $66.5 million (€56.6m), has been awarded to Griffith Company, which will carry out works along Harbor Boulevard and at the large 22nd Street parking facility in San Pedro. A further contract worth $3.7m (€3.1m) has gone to CALTEC Corp. for utility improvements at the western end of Wilmington Waterfront Park.
The timetable places the infrastructure under undeniable Olympic pressure. Construction is expected to begin in November 2026 and conclude between January and the early months of 2028, leaving only a matter of months before the Games open on Friday, 14 July 2028. The margin is hardly generous, but it should prove workable provided there are no significant delays. At an Olympics expected to rely heavily on existing venues, the less conspicuous work on access, circulation and urban infrastructure may ultimately prove just as important as the arenas themselves.
According to the Los Angeles Business Journal, the project carries a total estimated budget of $86.4m (€73.4m), a figure that also includes preliminary design, planning and utility relocation, in addition to the construction contracts themselves. The publication also reported that funding is being drawn from the Public Access Investment Plan, under which the port reinvests 10% of its annual operating revenue in community improvements.
In the most recently reported financial year, those revenues reached $453 million (€386m), with around $45m (€38.5) allocated to that public investment programme.
The redeveloped San Pedro area will serve as the official venue for all six sailing disciplines at Los Angeles 2028, including the men’s and women’s dinghy events, skiff competitions and mixed multihull racing. Other water-based activities will be spread across nearby locations, including Belmont Shore in Long Beach.
The waterfront, therefore, will be far more than a picturesque Californian backdrop for global television coverage. It will also need to function as a safe, accessible and efficient corridor for athletes, teams, officials and spectators. The investment is another reminder that LA28 will not be defined solely by iconic venues such as SoFi Stadium or the Memorial Coliseum. The Games are also being built through kerbs, access roads, parking areas, promenades and urban connections.
At the LA Waterfront, the Olympic promise is now tied to a wider coastal transformation designed not only to serve the event itself, but to leave a lasting legacy for San Pedro and Wilmington long after the flame has gone out.
