Feds award $1M for Rose Bowl upgrade ahead of Olympics

Spread the love

The Rose Bowl is getting infrastructure upgrades ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Just over $1 million in federal funds will go toward water and sewer pipes.

U.S. Rep. Laura Friedman, D-Los Angeles County, is thrilled. She called it a win for Pasadena, the Los Angeles County city where the Rose Bowl is located.

“This will bring federal dollars back to California that would most likely be spent somewhere else in the country,” Friedman told The Center Square. “And this will relieve the burden on local taxpayers to pay for very necessary things for the Rose Bowl.”

Because of these upgrades, Friedman said there will be improved drinking water quality, better flow capacity and drainage to eliminate backups and maintenance problems, upgraded wastewater systems, and more reliable infrastructure.

Friedman added that the improvements are inside walls and underground, but that does not mean they are not important for a stadium that is 104 years old.

“You all know what happens when the water doesn’t work at your home,” said Friedman. “Now imagine that happening during a major sporting event. This is something that is necessary.”

The infrastructure upgrades come amid other improvements at the Rose Bowl. Examples include a new seating section to better accommodate today’s concert and event-goers. This is being paid for with separate funds from the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, which receives private donations.

Friedman recommended that anyone who has not been to the Rose Bowl recently to return and see this “very loved” amenity in the area.

“The city of Pasadena owns that stadium and pays for it as do donors and people who grew up going to the Rose Bowl, people who played there, people who live in the area, so it’s something that the community cares deeply about,” said Friedman. “Let me also remind people that during the Eaton Fire, the Rose Bowl was our public safety staging location because there aren’t many areas where you can put hundreds of fire trucks and ambulances. And this is the place in that region to host public safety during a national emergency, so this will also certainly help with its ability to function as an emergency staging area.”

Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo did not respond to The Center Square’s request for comment.

Construction of the then horseshoe-shaped stadium was completed in 1922 with a seating capacity of 57,000. It was named The Rose Bowl in 1923.

The 2028 Summer Olympics will mark the third time that the Rose Bowl has been used for the games. The other times were the 1932 Summer Olympics and the 1984 Summer Olympics.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

GOP, Dems compete in Arizona congressional races

GOP, Dems compete in Arizona congressional races

By Zachery SchmidtThe Center Square Arizona Republicans and Democrats in the 7th and 8th congressional districts are battling it out to see who will advance to the general election. Primaries...
Abbott directs state investigation into ICE Houston shooting

Abbott directs state investigation into ICE Houston shooting

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday said the Texas Rangers are investigating the fatal shooting of a Mexican national in Houston last week by a U.S....
Industry leaders: Feds can more effectively combat fraud, but privacy rights at risk

Industry leaders: Feds can more effectively combat fraud, but privacy rights at risk

By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square The federal government faces fraudsters utilizing technology more powerfully than ever before to take advantage of taxpayer-funded programs and steal taxpayer dollars. But it must...
Union sues to stop $110B Paramount-Warner Bros. merger

Union sues to stop $110B Paramount-Warner Bros. merger

By Chris WoodwardThe Center Square State attorneys general are not the only ones suing to block the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by Paramount Skydance. The Writers Guild of America...
Bipartisan bill would force vote before Social Security cuts hit

Bipartisan bill would force vote before Social Security cuts hit

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation that would fast-track a floor vote on Social Security's looming insolvency, using an independent board to draft a...
Court OKs $45M verdict in talc asbestos case, including $30M for ‘reduced lifespan’

Court OKs $45M verdict in talc asbestos case, including $30M for ‘reduced lifespan’

By Jonathan Bilyk | Legal NewslineThe Center Square (Legal Newsline) - An Illinois appeals court has thrown open a new avenue for personal injury lawyers and others to claim potentially...
Taxpayers to fund $424.9M soccer stadium infrastructure

Taxpayers to fund $424.9M soccer stadium infrastructure

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Chicago Fire may be building their own soccer stadium, but city taxpayers will be on the...
Illinois Quick Hits: Benton pulls name from ballot after resignation

Illinois Quick Hits: Benton pulls name from ballot after resignation

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Former state Rep. Harry Benton, D-Plainfield, who resigned from his seat in the Illinois House of Representatives...
Fraud enforcement, weaponization swirl around Blanche's nomination

Fraud enforcement, weaponization swirl around Blanche’s nomination

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square A marathon Wednesday confirmation hearing for Todd Blanche, President Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, touched on fraud enforcement, Trump's anti-weaponization fund, documents associated with...
Income tax cut on Missouri ballot; Illinois may see more outmigration

Income tax cut on Missouri ballot; Illinois may see more outmigration

By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A ballot measure in front of Missouri voters next month could give some Illinois residents in the...
Michigan's U.S. Senate primary heats up as El-Sayed holds lead

Michigan’s U.S. Senate primary heats up as El-Sayed holds lead

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square Recent polling in Michigan's open U.S. Senate race shows Democrat Abdul El-Sayed leading establishment-backed U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens as the Democratic primary approaches. The winner...
Decades of policy choices make gas more expensive for Blue states: Report

Decades of policy choices make gas more expensive for Blue states: Report

By Tate MillerThe Center Square Policies made decades ago cause gas prices to be on average higher in Blue states than Red states, with a 55 cent gap per gallon,...
EXCLUSIVE: New ethics complaint targets U.S. Sen. Gallego

EXCLUSIVE: New ethics complaint targets U.S. Sen. Gallego

By Zachery SchmidtThe Center Square A nonpartisan oversight organization filed a Senate ethics complaint on Wednesday against U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona, over a social media statement he made about...
DOJ releases evidence related to Operation Metro Surge shootings

DOJ releases evidence related to Operation Metro Surge shootings

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square Six months after two people were killed during Operation Metro Surge, the U.S. Department of Justice has handed over evidence related to the deaths to...
Iranian in Massachusetts convicted of violating US sanctions against Iran

Iranian in Massachusetts convicted of violating US sanctions against Iran

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square An Iranian businessman has been convicted in federal court in Boston, Mass., after a 14-day jury trial for charges related to violating U.S. sanctions against...