What better guide for a tour of a century‑old Olympic coliseum than a two‑time Olympian?
Attendees at NAIOP’s I.CON West this week in Los Angeles enjoyed a rare behind‑the‑scenes look at Exposition Park, the 160‑acre state-owned campus that includes many of the city’s most iconic institutions: the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum; BMO Stadium, a premier professional soccer venue; the California African American Museum; the California Science Center; the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum; and the future Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.
Joe Vargas, president of Wonderful Real Estate, welcomed the group by sharing his personal connection to the site. He earned a silver medal in water polo during the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles – the last time the city hosted the event.
In 2028, the Olympics will return to L.A. The city also served as host in 1932, and, as Vargas noted, only two other cities (London and Paris) have hosted the Games three times. The 2028 Games are expected to generate an estimated $18 billion in economic impact for Los Angeles.
Andrea Ambriz, appointed general manager of Exposition Park by Governor Gavin Newsom, led attendees through the complex. Exposition Park draws roughly 8 million visitors each year, she said, putting it on par with major attractions like Universal Studios. During the 2028 Olympics, daily attendance is projected to reach approximately 170,000 people.
In 2020, the Exposition Park Board of Directors adopted a master plan outlining how the campus could continue evolving as an open, green and accessible community space – an important goal given the more than half a million residents living within a three‑mile radius.
“Each of these institutions are independently developing on their own, and it’s the state’s responsibility to bring all of them together and to foster connectivity between them,” Ambriz said.
BMO Stadium opened in 2018 with the inaugural Los Angeles Football Club match. Since then, it has expanded to host a women’s soccer league team and 10 to 15 major concerts each year. A $1 million investment in its second year added a specialty grid and concrete pad that enables crews to rig shows just as they would in any major arena. As a result, “We’re the only stadium in the world that does the concert schedule and the soccer schedule on a natural grass surface to the level that we do it,” said Brian Thomas, assistant general manager for the stadium. “We had a concert here last Saturday, and we will play soccer here again this Saturday.”
BMO Stadium will also host men’s and women’s lacrosse and flag football during the 2028 Olympic Games.
At 103 years old, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is one of only two stadiums in the region – along with the Rose Bowl – that are more than a century old and still operating. The Coliseum has been the continuous home of the USC Trojans and hosted the UCLA Bruins for 60 years before they moved to the Rose Bowl. The Rams first arrived in the Coliseum after relocating from Cleveland, helping bring professional football to the West Coast. Soccer fans might recall that Pelé once played here, and the stadium still holds the state record for the largest high school football championship game with more than 60,000 attendees.
The Coliseum will host the opening ceremonies of the 2028 Olympic Games as well as track and field events. SoFi Stadium will host the closing ceremonies, and two weeks later, the Coliseum will welcome the Paralympic Games, including both opening and closing ceremonies.
“It’ll be an exciting time for all of us to showcase our venues and be a part of global sport,” said Joe Furin, the Coliseum’s general manager.
A newly announced $100 million investment in Exposition Park will fund improvements to enhance accessibility, visitor experience, and infrastructure ahead of major upcoming events including the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“There’s a lot of history here at Exposition Park,” Ambriz said. “This park has been here for over 100 years. It will be here for another 100 years, and it’s our job to be its steward. It’s our job to make sure that it’s ready to host the world and the global stage in just a few years.”
This post is brought to you by JLL, the social media and conference blog sponsor of NAIOP’s I.CON West 2026. Learn more about JLL at www.us.jll.com or www.jll.ca.
