Los Angeles Advances Proposal to Fast-Track Olympic Games Construction Projects Through New Zoning Exemptions

The Los Angeles City Council has unanimously approved moving forward with a proposal to create a new zoning exemption ordinance aimed at fast-tracking construction for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

With a 14-0 vote on Tuesday, Oct. 7, councilmembers directed the City Attorney’s Office and Department of City Planning to draft an “Olympic/Paralympic Zoning Exemption Ordinance,” designed to streamline the development of structures and facilities needed for the Games. The events are expected to draw millions of visitors to Los Angeles and nearby host communities.

The proposed ordinance would permit both temporary and permanent construction of facilities, installations, and activities throughout Los Angeles. Temporary projects would have to be removed by Feb. 27, 2029.

According to the council agenda report, the exemption would apply to:

“Any supporting facilities, installations, uses and/or activities that serve athletes, officials, spectators, visitors and/or residents at approved competition venues or noncompetition venues necessary to host Olympic and/or Paralympic events, including but not limited to, training facilities, security perimeters, broadcast and media centers, transit infrastructure, live sites and fan zones.”

Certain projects, such as Metro light rail construction, would not qualify for these exemptions.

Although the motion passed unanimously, some local groups have voiced strong opposition.

In a letter to the city, the Los Feliz Neighborhood Council criticized the proposal as “blanket exemptions from land use, planning or public oversight processes.”

“The Olympics were initially presented to the public as a ‘no build’ event, utilizing existing venues and infrastructure,” the letter reads. “Creating a blanket exemption from oversight not only contradicts that commitment, but it also demonstrates a problem with priorities at City Council when similar urgency has not been applied to address Los Angeles’ ongoing housing crisis… The Olympics are a short-term, spectator event and infrastructure that serves the public good, the city as a whole, should be prioritized over the Olympics.”

The Sherman Oaks and Studio City Neighborhood Councils also opposed the motion, while the Winnetka Neighborhood Council expressed its support.

In a June letter, the Studio City Neighborhood Council stated, “Exemptions for temporary structures are one thing, but exemptions for permanent structures should not be allowed.”

The ordinance is part of a broader citywide effort to prepare for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

On Oct. 1, Mayor Karen Bass joined Downtown LA stakeholders to break ground on the $2.6 billion modernization and expansion of the LA Convention Center — a project intended to boost tourism and economic activity ahead of the Games. The Los Angeles City Council approved the project on Sept. 19 with an 11-2 vote and later authorized $990 million in bond funding to help finance the work.