Developer Rick Caruso has expressed strong criticism of the Los Angeles city government over delays in the construction of a venue intended for the 2028 Summer Olympics. The city officials have attributed these delays to the recent Palisades Fire, which has impacted various projects in the area.
In a recent article by the Los Angeles Times, it was reported that an expansion of the city’s convention center, slated to serve as an Olympic venue, may face postponement or even cancellation due to the aftermath of the fire. Caruso, who previously ran for mayor in 2022 and lost to current Mayor Karen Bass, argued that it should be feasible to simultaneously prepare for the Olympics while addressing the necessary rebuilding efforts from the fire.
“What happened to ‘we’re going to cut through the bureaucracy’?” Caruso questioned in a series of posts on social media platform X, where he laid out his concerns regarding the situation.
Caruso’s remarks come in the wake of his own experience during the Palisades Fire, where he successfully protected his Palisades Village mall through the use of private firefighting services, while public firefighters struggled with water shortages in the area.
The delays in the convention center expansion raise important questions about the city’s preparedness for the upcoming Olympic Games and its ability to manage emergency situations effectively. As Los Angeles gears up for this significant international event, the interplay between infrastructure development and disaster recovery will be closely scrutinized by both residents and officials alike.