The Los Angeles City Council approved an ordinance late last month that could speed up construction for certain temporary projects tied to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games by exempting them from planning and zoning requirements. According to Engineering News-Record, officials say the move could save thousands of dollars in associated costs. The ordinance would establish relief from planning and zoning review for projects in advance of and during the Games to successfully execute and timely deliver them.
Projects classified as temporary are those built or implemented solely for the Games and located at approved competition venues. The waiver applies to new construction, additions, alterations, repairs, grading, retaining fences and walls, sign permits, swimming pools, change of use, and land permits. Temporary projects must be demolished, dismantled, or removed no later than Feb. 27, 2029. The waiver does not apply to hotel development projects, large-scale cable-guided transportation projects, or other aerial mobility projects. The 2028 Olympic Games begin July 14, 2028, and the Paralympic Games run from August 15 to August 27 that same year.
The exclusion of aerial mobility projects may disappoint Archer Aviation, the official Olympic manufacturer of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and the official air taxi provider for LA28. Archer and AEG recently announced development of the first downtown Los Angeles vertiport within AEG's L.A. LIVE district. The downtown area will be a central hub for 18 Olympic and Paralympic sports. It is unclear if the planned vertiport will be freestanding or built atop an existing building.
Opposition remains. United Neighborhoods for Los Angeles asserts the ordinance provides only broad categories rather than defining temporary projects, and that the waiver could extend to permanent construction if the council changes a designation from temporary to permanent. The ordinance does allow the council to approve an eligible permanent project for exemption if it is essential to successful delivery of the Games and will have a lasting community benefit. One Los Angeles architect told ENR anonymously that vague rules and the ability to shift from temporary to permanent status could raise building integrity and safety issues. Implications for other Olympics-related construction and future building across Los Angeles remain unclear.