Olympic Blvd.
Chicago lost out on its bid for the 2016 Olympics. Los Angeles has hosted the games twice. Drivers can recall those glory days every time they drive down Olympic Blvd. KPCC’s Kitty Felde says it's another Street Story.
Kitty Felde: William A. Garland was a real estate developer who lobbied for the expansion of Tenth Street to LA's west side. That expansion project stalled because of homeowner protests. Auto Club historian Matt Roth says Garland was a member of the influential Community Development Association that built the Coliseum and brought the 1932 Olympics to Los Angeles.
Matt Roth: In 1931, Garland proposed renaming Tenth Street Olympic Blvd. just to bring some of that “feel good aura” of the Olympics to bear on this project that was so difficult to get through.
Felde: The games were a great success in 1932. And again in 1984 – the first time an Olympic host city made a profit on the Games.
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