It has just been 2 months since the Paris Olympics have concluded. While there were a lot of controversies surrounding the entire event, things ultimately did fall into place. From the infamous Seine River pollution issue to potential security threats at the Opening Ceremony, Paris had seen it all. Now, as the action shifts to Los Angeles, the authorities are making sure that no slip-ups are leading to unnecessary controversies. Likewise, Long Beach has unveiled its grand plan for the upcoming Olympics in 2028. 

In less than four years, every eye in the world will remain fixated on Long Beach. As per reports, they will be hosting as many as eight Olympic events. The venue will also bear witness to some live Paralympic events, the exact number of which remains undisclosed. Now, coming back to the business end of things, Long Island is planning to spend as much as $933 million on improving the infrastructure of the area. 

According to the LA Times, Marine Stadium and the Sports Area will be in charge of hosting canoe, rowing, and handball events. As for artistic swimming and water polo, a temporary pool will be erected near a waterfront parking lot while the opening leg of the triathlon, along with marathon swimming and sailing, will get underway offshore. Now then, the proposed $933 million plan is not all about the Olympics. In the five-year proposal, the overall improvement of public safety and other infrastructures of Long Beach has been given paramount importance.

Only $210 million of the total allocated money will be spent exclusively on projects that are Olympics-focused. Elevate 28 is what the project is being called. Sitting dormant for a long time, this initiative aims to check things off the city’s to-do list promptly. For example, there will be 178 overdue maintenance projects that will be given immediate attention for the overall upliftment of the area.

These include transforming cultural centers, libraries, streets, and playgrounds. A part of the fund will also be set aside for aiding housing for the homeless, a year-round shelter, and a youth shelter. Looking at the grand transition plan as the red carpet for the Olympics, the director of public works, Eric Lopez, seemed quite optimistic.

Lopez said, “Right now, the goal is to make sure the city is ready, so visitors can get around easily… I see this as a puzzle. We’re putting it together piece by piece.” Now then, even as things seem quite rosy, there is a tad bit of uncertainty lurking just around the corner.

Long Beach residents are wary of the Olympics causing significant barriers to the city’s growth

The Olympics are a spectacle that comes with major pomp and show. And while the entire city of Long Beach is looking to undergo a massive transformation. However, some of the residents are feeling the tension. They are unsure about whether, amidst all the glitz and glamour, the actual problems of Long Beach that require attention will remain unattended.

Voicing out significant concern, the author of as many as five books on the Olympics, Jules Boykoff wanted “The Olympics need to be in service of Long Beach.” Boykoff wants things to happen organically and not let the Olympic fever move the attention from the more serious areas of pain. 

Similarly, another resident of Long Beach, Melinda Cotton, thinks that the Olympics will create some unnecessarily skyrocketing hype. It will, in turn, result in the diversion of attention from some critical issues like homelessness, policing, and the impact of the changing climate on the marinas and the waterfront.

Speaking about the same, Cotton said, “I don’t oppose the Olympics, but I believe the impacts on our city will be huge and costly… I moved to this city in 1983 and have watched our city government get in over their heads before.” Thus, despite the proposed plan looking promising, there are lingering doubts about its proper execution. 

With the days going away fast, the authorities need to pull up their socks immediately. After all, they will not want a repeat of all the controversies that accompanied the recently concluded Paris games. Thus, with all eyes on Los Angeles, it will now be interesting to see what happens next.