Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is on a mission across the pond, meeting with Parisian officials and eyeing their infrastructure as the City of Angels braces itself for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The delegation kicked off with a peek at the Olympic Village and a rendezvous with Mayor Mathieu Hanotin of Saint-Denis and Mayor Karim Bouamrane of Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine to ensure all cities cash in on the upcoming sports extravaganza, according to a statement obtained by the mayor's office.
Ready to import some French flair, Mayor Bass signed on the dotted line with Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine's Bouamrane. The deal's a handshake on working together for the kids, the planet, sports, and arts, and swapping tips from the 2024 Games to fine-tune L.A.'s own Olympics playbook. In a sweeping tour that also showcased the Adidas Arena, the L.A. delegation, led by Bass, made sure in their meetings with mayors and CEOs that their city would drink deep from the cup of international expertise and collaborations, as stated by the mayor's office.
The game plan includes lasting legacies, like turning the Olympic Village into an eco-friendly neighborhood post-Games. The mayors shared insights on building buzz for the Olympics that hooks in more than just sports fans, bringing in business bigwigs like Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield CEO Jean-Marie Tritant who's prepping his retail empire to rally L.A. residents for the grand event.
Along with making nice with French mayors, Mayor Bass's crew includes L.A.'s city council heavy-hitters and transportation pros. Council President Paul Krekorian, Councilmember Traci Park, and Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, with LA Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins and other local leaders in tow, are eyeing every chance to sprinkle a bit of Olympic gold dust on their home turf. The councilmembers, all part of the special committee for the 2028 Games, left no stone unturned in hunting down opportunities for L.A. to shine when it steps into the Olympic spotlight, as they met with local leaders and scouted out Paris's approach to the big event, as per details from the mayor's office release.
Mayor Bass is set to get some of the limelight during the Paris 2024 Games' Closing Ceremonies, rubbing shoulders with Paris Mayor Hidalgo. But for now, it's back to L.A. she goes, with the delegation scheduled to touch down home on March 10. Their heads no doubt packed with Parisian insights and strategies, the countdown to 2028 continues.
