SCCOG Plans $112M Renovation To Coliseum In 2016 Games Bid

The Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games (SCCOG) unveiled plans Thursday for a $112M temporary renovation of the L.A. Coliseum that will add 204 luxury suites, a restored track and sun shading to the 80-year-old facility. The upgrade would require the removal of 13,000 of the current 92,000 seats in order to restore the track. The 2,400 suite-level seats to be added would bring the total capacity to 83,000. Should the city of L.A. be selected to host the 2016 Olympic Games, the construction would begin in January 2016 and be completed prior to the Opening Ceremonies (Tripp Mickle, SportsBusiness Journal). SCCOG Chair Barry Sanders said that the renovation costs “would be covered by Olympic revenues.” The Coliseum has historic landmark status and “cannot be permanently changed.” L.A. Conservancy Exec Dir Linda Dishman said, “We were pleased they were very sensitive to the historical character of the Coliseum” (L.A. TIMES, 2/23). In L.A., Helene Elliott writes the renovation plan “would marry new to old with adhesive tape. ... It has no ‘wow’ factor, just fleeting functionality” (L.A. TIMES, 2/23).