L.A. County officials are eyeing a new Olympic sport: real estate hustling. Supervisors Holly Mitchell and Lindsey Horvath want the county to move quickly on a full inventory of county-owned buildings, parks, and other public assets that could be leased to visiting countries, broadcasters, and corporate partners during the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The idea is to turn civic space into temporary hospitality houses, broadcast hubs and training sites, all while pulling in short-term cash ahead of the Games.
According to the motion filed with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the acting chief executive officer and the Asset Management Division would have 21 days to produce a comprehensive inventory and 30 days to flag a high-priority subset of properties that can be marketed right away. Staff is asked to estimate preparation costs, operational constraints, and preliminary revenue potential for uses such as hospitality houses, brand activations, international broadcast locations, and practice facilities.
The motion points to nearby cities that are already moving down this path. Culver City is advancing a New Zealand hospitality house and fan zone in Town Plaza, while Long Beach has announced national Houses for countries including Ireland and Denmark. Culver City’s staff report lays out a 19-day activation plan and city cost estimates, and Long Beach’s press releases describe planned programming and venue choices.
What Supervisors Are Asking For
The motion directs the Executive Office of the Board’s chief of protocol to begin outreach to the Consular Corps within 10 days of the inventory being completed. It also tells county counsel, the Department of Economic Opportunity, and other departments to come back within 60 days with a strategic implementation plan that spells out how this all actually works.
That plan is expected to outline contracting structures, proposed revenue targets, and timelines that match key Olympic milestones, essentially turning county facilities into a menu of rentable assets for consulates, broadcasters, and sponsors.
Why They Say It Matters
Mitchell and Horvath argue that the county has to move fast if it wants to catch the wave of international demand instead of watching neighboring cities surf off with the opportunities. As reported by MyNewsLA, the motion frames these Olympic leases as a time-limited strategy to help address what it calls a “significant structural budget deficit.” In other words, this is about more than just bragging rights during LA28.
Local Concerns And The Risks
Advocates and some local officials are expected to push for guardrails, warning that turning public properties into Games venues raises concerns about public access, permitting, staffing, and the impact on residents who rely on those spaces. Earlier Olympic planning has already brushed up against sensitive territory, including encampment clearings near 2028 venues and related legal risks.
Next Steps
The motion landed on the Board of Supervisors' agenda for Tuesday. If it is approved, county staff will be on a tight clock, returning within weeks with detailed inventories and an implementation plan. From there, county officials would begin courting consulates, broadcasters, and potential sponsors, trying to lock in short-term leases for LA28 while the Olympic flame is still years away.
