Mayor Karen Bass is off to Paris with a gaggle of city hotshots in what's billed as a major move to get Los Angeles ready for its Olympic and Paralympic gig in 2028. LA's looking to snaffle some pointers on how to pull off big-ticket events like housing developments, green transport, and slick infrastructure, with the City of Lights' own 2024 Games shining on the horizon.
The crew, which includes Council President Paul Krekorian and Councilmembers Traci Park and Katy Yaroslavsky, are fixing to meet the brains behind the Parisian operation. “The City of Los Angeles must be prepared to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games," Mayor Bass said in a statement, a move she's labeling crucial for the prep work while looking to rustle up some business cheer for LA. The Paris trip is seen as a golden shot to do a deep dive into the Olympic and Paralympic planning melee, according to the City of Los Angeles.
They're not just there to play tourist, either. Bass's band plans to hobnob with French officials and industry hotshots. They'll be bending ears at Business France, the French government's biz wing, to chat about going halves on some investment in LA. And they won't miss sussing out Westfield's game plan for raking in the dough when the sporting world descends on Paris.
As for the egghead stuff, a jaunt to Saint-Denis and Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine is on the books, where the Athlete’s Village is being touted as a model eco-neighborhood post-Games. Plus, they're peeping Paris' temp Media Center digs at The Carreau du Temple, teed up to house a slew of media bods for the 2024 bash. And there's chatter scheduled with Paris honcho Anne Hidalgo, where Bass will sample the French Mayoral recipe for Games-time glitter — straight from the chef's mouth, as per Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass.
With International Women’s Day coming, Bass will also get some face-time at a conference hosted by Mayor Hidalgo. Looks like they'll be talking shop over lunch with a lineup that's set to include hotshots like Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema and Mongolia's Foreign Minister Battsetseg Batmunkh.
LA's Olympic delegation plans to jet-set Wednesday and be back by Sunday, just enough time to pack in all that learning before rolling out the red carpet for the athletes in four years. And, they'll make sure to be around for Paris's closing ceremonies, ready to take the baton for 2028.
