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≡ INTEL REPORT ≡
New Zealand Olympic Committee chief executive Nicki Nicol and chief marketing officer Jonny Errington made the 6,504-mile trip from Auckland to Culver City, California to attend, along with New Zealand Consul-General to Los Angeles Katja Ackerley and other Kiwi supporters, a presentation to the Culver City City Council on Monday evening (8th).
They hoped – and had every right to expect – that a carefully negotiated Term Sheet for New Zealand to call Culver City “home” during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, would be approved, then leading to the follow-on negotiation of a detailed contract. The deal, in short:
“The shared objective for establishing a New Zealand House in Culver City would be to create a destination for the community and fans alike to be immersed in the LA28 Olympics and showcase local community culture, as well as the culture and the values of the New Zealand Team (and New Zealand).
“This draft Term Sheet sets out the broad principles of the potential collaboration that involves the use of the wider Town Plaza and precinct, in conjunction with the New Zealand Team (including athletes, friends and family and supporters); where athletes can come to visit (and celebrate post competition), and as a destination where the New Zealand Team’s friends and family and supporters can congregate to support their Team. The Town Plaza and precinct would also provide a base to showcase New Zealand culture and for Culver City to showcase its community and culture externally.
“This Term sheet is non-binding on the parties until such time as the parties agree to enter into a legal binding agreement.”
Note the last sentence: the document is not binding, pending an actual, signed contract.
There was a presentation, artist’s renderings and more, but instead of a smooth approval, Nicol, Errington, Ackerley and their supporters left empty handed.
Nothing was decided.
Instead, there was two hours of discussion, back and forth, about costs and adding street closures to attract more traffic and whether Culver City – one of the smaller of the 88 incorporated municipalities within Los Angeles County – after 4 1/2 months of discussion with the New Zealand Olympic Committee, should do nothing:
● The NZOC wants to spend $1.4 million or more to create not just a “New Zealand House” in Culver City, centered on the famed Culver Hotel, but to set up – at its expense – two large viewing screens for people to watch the Games, an entertainment stage and other local activities, including integration with Culver City arts and cultural elements, across 19 days in July 2028 (the dates of the Games are 14-30 July).
● It is asking Culver City to provide the space, as well as security, access control, traffic management and access to support facilities such as restrooms.
● The project could be shared by some of the other, small Oceanian National Olympic Committees as well. The New Zealand House at Paris 2024 attracted more than 20,000 visitors.
The staff report on the project added more details:
● Culver City officials have met with representatives of 32 National Olympic Committees, but so far only New Zealand has entered into advanced discussions on headquarters there.
● City costs were estimated at $717,763, including $300,000 for police and $190,000 for fire support. Possible revenues from occupancy and sales taxes could total $225,600.
● The costs for viewing screens and an entertainment stage, estimated at $452,000, could be a savings for Culver City if it decided it wanted to do something similar – at its own cost – during the Games period.
The discussion among the Council members was dominated by first-term member Bubba Fish, who acknowledged that the Olympic Games brings possibilities, but could not stomach the $717,763 costs, citing the City’s precarious finances. He then extended the cost issue to include a projected $400-450,000 in costs for “open streets” to allow restaurants and other businesses to take over more area for programming during the Games, insisting that the issue in front of the City Council was really more than $1.1 million.
Former Mayor and current Council member Yasmine-Imani McMorrin supported Fish and thought a “cap” on the costs that the city would spend might help. Mayor Dan O’Brien, a supporter of the New Zealand project, also liked the cap idea, but said that was an internal matter, having nothing to do with New Zealand.
Vice Mayor Freddy Puza liked the cap but Council member Albert Vera clearly was in favor of going forward with the agreement with the NZOC. Darrel Menthe, Executive Director of the Culver City Downtown Business Association, supported the project and said without New Zealand or another, similar attraction, Culver City (and its businesses) would be an afterthought during the Games period.
Fish asked Nicol if the NZOC could pick up more of the City’s costs. “No” was the answer as Nicol said the NZOC is trying something larger than ever before and will be straining to cover its projected $1.4 million in costs. She suggested reducing the scope of the program – maybe one screen instead of two or something similar – to lower the City’s costs, as well as those for the NZOC.
Assistant City Manager Jesse Mays was repeatedly asked about the cost estimates and about whether other National Olympic Committees could come in and pay for the “open streets” costs and more. He was clear that only New Zealand had indicated significant interest so far.
So what happened? Nothing. After more than two and a quarter hours – and past midnight – the matter was continued to the 29 August 2025 meeting, with the staff asked to look at the costs again. The City Council then went on to other matters.
The New Zealanders, and their supporters, left. The question now is whether they will come back.
¶
Meanwhile, the Hellenic Olympic Committee announced Monday that its “Greek Olympic House” will be in Long Beach, California, the site of multiple 2028 Olympic and Paralympic events:
● Said Hellenic Olympic Committee President Isidoros Kouvelos: “The creation of the Greek Olympic House in Long Beach is a powerful symbol of Greece’s timeless connection with the Olympic Games and a living bridge between the birthplace of Olympism and the global Olympic community. In Los Angeles, through this House, we will share our culture, history, traditions, as well as the values of Olympism: excellence, friendship and respect that remain our strongest contribution to humanity.”
● “The Hellenic Olympic House will be a welcoming space dedicated to showcasing the best that Greece has to offer. It will host a variety of events and exhibitions related to Greek history, culture and the arts, while also serving as a meeting point for fans of the Olympic Games.”
The announcement noted Long Beach as “home to one of the oldest and most dynamic Greek Diaspora communities in the United States.”
These are just the first of many agreements to be made for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, not only for hospitality houses, but for pre-Games training sites as well. The Netherlands committed to pre-Games training in Mission Viejo, California in 2024 and Great Britain’s training site will be at Stanford University.
In the City of Los Angeles itself, the hospitality house for Croatia will be in San Pedro.
Lots of whispers about Canada, Denmark, Sweden and more, and on 28 August, several National Olympic Committee representatives met at Los Angeles City Hall for a briefing on hospitality house possibilities in the City. NOC reps from Australia, Belgium, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain met with the City of Long Beach on the same day.
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