With less than two years before Los Angeles host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Los Angeles Harbor Commission approved more than $70 million in constructions projects to ready the waterfront near San Pedro for the boating competitions.
The bulk of the work comprises a $67 million construction contract that was awarded to Brea-based general contractor Griffith Co., according to the Port of Los Angeles. The projects include: a new parking lot at Harbor Boulevard and 22nd Street with more than 2,100 new permanent parking stalls and public restrooms; and an expansion of Harbor Boulevard itself to two lanes in each direction from 22nd Street to the San Pedro Slip with a landscaped pedestrian walkway.
The last project – a $3.7 million construction contract for a restroom building and shade structures on the west end of Wilmington Waterfront Park – went to Irvine-based CALTEC Corp.
The total cost of all three is $86.4 million, including design and any pre-construction work such as utility relocation.
‘Our continued commitment’
Funding for the three contracts comes from the Port of Los Angeles’ public access investment plan, an initiative that allocates 10% of the port’s operating income toward new public access projects.
For the 2024-25 fiscal year, the port reported $453 million in operating income, and 10% of that amount was about $45 million. This is separate from the port’s capital improvements budget, which is generally used for projects related to port activities, such as cargo pier renovations.
Main-phase construction on the three projects is set to begin this fall, with completion targeted for early 2028 – just ahead of the summer games.
“These projects reflect our continued commitment to the L.A. Waterfront as our city prepares to welcome visitors from around the world for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, said in the award announcement. “They will also enhance public access to West Harbor and our active, visitor-serving waterfront, creating lasting benefits for generations to come.”
In addition to these projects, the port is also helping with the staging necessary for the six boating events that are part of the Olympic and Paralympic Games: men’s and women’s dinghy, men’s and women’s skiff, mixed dinghy and mixed multihull. Other boating events will be held at Belmont Shore in Long Beach.
