Santa Monica to Renegotiate Agreement to Host Olympic Beach Volleyball

After Reviewing the Agreement and a Fiscal Impact Study, Council Members Remained Confused Over the Potential Economic Benefits and How the City Would Be Reimbursed

By Zach Armstrong

Confronted with unanswered questions and a shroud of fiscal uncertainty, the Santa Monica City Council has directed staff to renegotiate its agreement with LA28 organizers for hosting beach volleyball.

During its Oct. 8 meeting, the council convened on a study session before deciding whether to sign a games agreement that outlines Santa Monica’s responsibilities for municipal services and venue logistics, among other duties, if a temporary 12,000-seat beach volleyball stadium next to the iconic Pier were to be built. Under current plans, the venue would be constructed in April of 2028 and torn down in August, with the games occurring in late July.

After reviewing the agreement and a fiscal impact study, council members remained confused over the potential economic benefits and how the city would be reimbursed for costs associated with hosting the event.

The agreement raised several concerns: no community benefits were detailed; businesses on the Pier could be closed for weeks depending on security needs; and although the state of California and the City of Los Angeles pledged $270 million for reimbursements should LA28 exhaust its funds, Santa Monica will compete with several host cities (Pasadena, Long Beach, and others) for that cash; while there’s no assurance that enough money will cover all shortfalls. 

The case for Olympic volleyball to come to Santa Monica became even harder after hearing the fiscal impact study, which contended the City would actually save millions if it opted out completely.

The study, which assessed both scenarios in which Santa Monica does or doesn’t host Olympic volleyball, indicated the city would accrue economic benefits either way. Its hotels would still be booked. Its restaurants would still be filled. And it would still get hundreds of thousands of more visitors than usual during the Olympic period (although by hosting the sport, it could get 400,000 more, than not). 

Whereas the City could lose approximately $1.5 million for building the stadium and hosting the sport, according to the impact study, it would gain around $10.6 million for simply being a hot tourist destination within the hosting city.

Now, compared with what was offered on Tuesday evening, the City is seeking a new agreement that includes “tangible community benefits, added community outreach from LA28, and provides greater clarity and assurances about financial and other impacts to residents and businesses, particularly on and around the Santa Monica Pier.” said a City spokesperson in an email. 

“If you take out the fact that this is the Olympics … the sheer agreement, the financial impact, the negligence in being able to answer any questions that impact the entire city, impact our public safety, or our clean beaches. These are all things not only impact from a financial standpoint, but from a community standpoint.” said Santa Monica Vice Mayor Lana Negrete. “It seems like any other deal like this would be considered atypical.”

Mayor Phil Brock, like most of the council, echoed a similar sentiment to Negrete’s.

“This contract has been troubling for the last year and a half. The fact that you sign something and you have no idea what you’re signing, how much you’ll be reimbursed, or how much this will cost,” said Brock. “If someone asked you to do this on the street, you’d walk away and laugh at them.” 

Brock, who has fond memories of attending the 1984 Summer Olympics, said the Olympic committee has remained vague on the question of what the community benefit would be for the City.

“I want to host it for our communal heart. For the legacy of our city and grandchildren who can say that we hosted an Olympic event.” said Brock. “But we are a city that I could characterize as the once-rich city of Santa Monica, which will be the rich city again sometime, but right now we’re not. So the question is how do we front money for the Olympics games when we don’t have it right now.”

“I’m really disappointed that they’re asking us to not negotiate a contract, not give us terms that give us any type of normal reimbursement, not give any certainty, and just say we have to accept whatever they want because we have the privilege of hosting the Olympics.” he continued. “I’m not sure our city can front a million, ten million, 15 million, years in advance, and then wait maybe another six months for a year to experience reimbursements that we’ll desperately need. We must be prudent.”

For Olympic beach volleyball to take place on the shores of Santa Monica would be fitting for the beachside town, where the sport first emerged on its sands during the 1940s.

A variation of sand volleyball first occurred on Santa Monica beaches, with the first beach volleyball tournament taking place in 1947 and the first circuit launched in the 1950s, involving hundreds of players on California beaches, according to the Paris 2024 Olympic website. 

The sport made its 1996 Olympic debut at the Atlanta Games. The U.S. and Brazil have stood out as strong Olympic contenders in the sport, with a shared 24 medals (10 golds) from a potential of just 42. In the 2020 Tokyo games, gold medalist volleyball players were U.S. player Alexandra Klineman for women’s and Anders Berntsen Mol of Norway for men’s.

in Hard, News
Related Posts

Recovery Center Opens in West LA to Streamline Rebuilding Efforts

February 18, 2025

February 18, 2025

The hubs bring together representatives from multiple city departments, including Building and Safety, City Planning, and the Department of Water...

Inglewood Man Arrested in January Homicide in Santa Monica

February 18, 2025

February 18, 2025

Month-Long Investigation Leads to Arrest A suspect has been arrested in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred last month...

American Legion Post 283 Opens Disaster Recovery Center

February 17, 2025

February 17, 2025

The center is staffed by veterans who have been active in the burn zone The American Legion Post 283 has...

Palisades Athletic Community Seek to Rebuild Programs, Fundraise for New Equipment

February 17, 2025

February 17, 2025

Local teams and organizations have launched fundraising efforts to help restore normalcy for affected players and ensure they can return...

(Video) Enjoy Beach Proximity and Prime Amenities at Ocean View Hotel

February 17, 2025

February 17, 2025

For More Info, Go To Oceanviewsantamonica.com For More Info, Go To https://t.co/1RJBAOG3rO pic.twitter.com/1KlN8OZQeO — Palisades News (@PalisadesNewsLA) February 17, 2025

10-Unit Mar Vista Apartment Building Hits Market at $3M

February 17, 2025

February 17, 2025

Built in 1954, the multi-family complex has an average size of 713 square feet per unit A 10-unit apartment building...

County Launches Opt-Out Permit for Fire Debris Removal

February 16, 2025

February 16, 2025

The permit allows homeowners and business owners to oversee their own cleanup efforts Los Angeles County has introduced an Opt-Out...

Hardware Store Reopens Palisades Location After Wildfire Closure

February 16, 2025

February 16, 2025

Following weeks of repairs and restocking, this store is once again serving the community Anawalt Lumber has reopened its Pacific...

Black History Greens Festival to Celebrate Community Legacy of Virginia Avenue Park

February 14, 2025

February 14, 2025

The free community event is part of Santa Monica’s Black History Month celebrations, with the 2025 theme, “Roots and Reflections:...

Executive Order Suspends Environmental Regulations for Wildfire Rebuilding

February 13, 2025

February 13, 2025

Regulatory Relief Aims to Accelerate Wildfire Recovery in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties Governor Gavin Newsom has issued an executive...

Country Club Donates $1M for Palisades Recovery

February 13, 2025

February 13, 2025

The club has encouraged members and partners to contribute to an established fund The Riviera Country Club has pledged $1...

Flour Pizzeria & Cafe to Bring Brooklyn-Style Pizza to Brentwood This Week

February 12, 2025

February 12, 2025

Family-Owned Favorite from the Palisades to Open on San Vicente  Flour Pizzeria & Cafe, a restaurant from Pacific Palisades run...

Tai Chain to Donate Santa Monica Grand Opening Proceeds to Wildfire-Affected Restaurants

February 12, 2025

February 12, 2025

The restaurant’s U.S. presence began in Arcadia, Calif., in 2000, and has since expanded to 17 locations  Din Tai Fung,...

Santa Monica Hotel Event Space Offers Affordability, Accessibility

February 12, 2025

February 12, 2025

Elevate Your Events with Versatile Venues and Exceptional Service Coastal stays and eclectic event spaces don’t have to be expensive....

New Map Tracks Palisades Cleanup Progress, Identifies Phase 1 and Phase 2 Areas

February 12, 2025

February 12, 2025

New interactive map helps residents track debris removal progress as officials emphasize unprecedented cleanup speed A newly released interactive map...