Construction on the Rio 2016 Olympic Park, the "main sports complex of the Olympics," began on Friday, according to PORTAL2014. Currently, the construction will "only include the re-urbanization of the surroundings" of the Jacarepaguá Race Track, in west Rio de Janeiro. Due to a request from the Brazilian Autoracing Confederation, the track will "continue receiving races" until the end of '12 before it will be "permanently closed and demolished." The first Olympic structures will then begin to be built (PORTAL2014.org.br, 7/6). Rio 2016 reported that the Olympic Park installations will take up an area of 1.18 million square meters. Competitions for 14 Olympic sports will be staged there along with nine Paralympic sports and disciplines. Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games President Arthur Nuzman said, "Today is a historical day for Brazilian sport. The Olympic Park is the heart of the Games, and after 2016 it will leave as a legacy the first Olympic Training Camp in South America" (Rio 2016).
MILITARY BASES: Agência Câmara reported that the Brazilian Aviation and Transport Commission will hold a "public hearing to discuss the possible use of military bases" in the 2014 World Cup. Due to the construction delays in airport infrastructure, some are advocating the use of military bases for the "landing and takeoff of civilian air crafts" in order to get fans to the different World Cup host cities across Brazil (AGENCIA CAMARA, 7/6).
