Brisbane scraps more plans for 2032 Olympic venues

Brisbane Olympics organizers have "scrapped plans" to demolish and rebuild the Gabba cricket stadium as the centerpiece of the 2032 Olympics "while also rejecting a review panel’s recommendation for a new stadium in city parklands." Queensland Premier Steven Miles instead announced today "he’d prefer to upgrade an existing rugby stadium close to downtown Brisbane to host the opening and closing ceremonies." Miles called for an independent review of Olympic planning in January as "backlash intensified" against the tripling of the cost to redevelop the Gabba. He said the option to upgrade Suncorp Stadium, which is walking distance of multiple train stations and the city, "would make it ideal to host the opening and closing ceremonies." His government "also plans to upgrade another existing stadium" in the city’s south to host track & field. The total cost to refurbish those two stadiums would be $66M. Organizers "still need to finalize where an indoor stadium will be built" to host swimming (AP, 3/18).