Los Angeles is set to host three major sporting events over the next four years, but historic wildfires have raised new concerns about whether the city is ready.
Inglewood Mayor James Butts said he is looking around the city and seeing first-class venues ready to host the World Cup, Super Bowl and Olympics.
This is happening in the midst of raging wildfires that have destroyed other areas north of Los Angeles.
“There are 88 cities in Los Angeles County. There are three involved in this fire,” Butts said. “This is a terrible event, and firefighters and police are responding 24 hours a day. But the reality is this is not consuming the entire county of Los Angeles or the entire city of Los Angeles.”
Inglewood’s Intuit Dome and SoFi Stadium, along with other venues in downtown Los Angeles and the University of Southern California, will be used as part of the 2028 Summer Olympics.
“Myself, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, her staff, the city of Inglewood, and the LA28 organizing committee have been in an ongoing dialogue and planning process for probably 18 months to over two years,” he said. Ta.
“What kind of conversations have you had since the fire?” What is everyone talking about? What’s the plan?” NBC’s Vigad Shaban asked Butts.
“There have been no conversations since the fire. We are continually preparing a structured plan for LA28, and this did not derail negotiations,” Butts said. .
Lindsey Gallagher is the tourism director for Napa County, which has also been hit by devastating wildfires in recent years.
“We have experienced this nightmare many times recently in Napa Valley,” she said.
Gallagher said rebuilding the community is most important, but added that ultimately Los Angeles needs to focus on bringing tourists back.
“Many sporting events will be held in unaffected areas,” she said. “I think the message is to let the world know that they should come back, that financial support is important, and that this experience will once again be a very positive one.”
Los Angeles won host city status for the 2028 Summer Olympics during President Donald Trump’s first term.
President Trump has clashed with California politicians in the past, but Governor Gavin Newsom believes Trump’s ties to securing the Olympics are the reason the president is working with the federal government to rebuild Los Angeles. I think it’s just a reason to ensure that we take all possible steps.
“This is an opportunity for him to shine, for this country, for California and this community,” Newsom said.
Casey Wasserman, head of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, recently met with President Trump to discuss the Olympics. He issued the following statement on Thursday:
“We are grateful for his unwavering dedication to LA28 and his leadership in bringing the Summer Olympics back to the United States for the first time in over 30 years. We are grateful to him and his administration for providing a safe and successful Games. We look forward to working with ‘Our country can be proud.’ ”
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