Rio Olympic Park reworks legacy plan and reduces sporting aspirations

In comparison with the initial plans, the intentions of expanding the COB (Brazilian Olympic Committee) Olympic Training Center and building buildings in the area were abolished. Instead, the intention is to build a theme park linked to Rock in Rio, with a resort, roller coaster and ferris wheel. The new project, however, is already experiencing delays.

Former mayor Eduardo Paes (PSD) stated that the new model, about to be made official, is better than what was planned ten years ago.

"In the beginning it was supposed to be a building, it won't be anymore. It was an adaptation for the better of the legacy. It would be a lot of spike in an area already suffocated by road problems. This construction potential will be distributed throughout Barra da Tijuca. Now it will be an entertainment center that will come out. These things don't happen in ten years", said the former mayor, who led the city's preparation for the Games in his first two terms (2009-2016).

The current mayor, Eduardo Cavaliere (PSD), said that "few cities in the world have managed to preserve and give permanent use to the legacy of an Olympics like Rio."

"The Olympic Park is an asset of the city, and we are ensuring that it fulfills exactly the role for which it was designed: serving the population. We have managed it responsibly, reducing costs for taxpayers, attracting private investment and preserving spaces that are fundamental to high-performance sports", stated Cavaliere.

Almost the entire Olympic Park must be managed by Rock World, the company that organizes Rock in Rio.

The company won the bid to manage the Arena Carioca 1, the Velodrome and the Olympic Tennis Center, facilities that were still managed by the city hall. It will pay a fixed grant of R$19.5 million.

It is also part of a consortium with Genial Investimentos bank that plans to build a 385,000 square meter theme park combined with a business center.

The group wants to explore the area that was used for the event's logistics, without arenas. The project still depends on negotiations with Caixa Econômica Federal and the concessionaire Rio Mais, which built part of the Olympic Park and would initially use the land to construct buildings.

"The city hall fulfilled all the steps that were the responsibility of the public authorities. It prepared the urban project, approved the legislation and created all the conditions so that the Consortium Urban Operation could be implemented", said the city hall, in a note.

The municipality, however, has not yet issued a decree regulating urban operations. The project's masterplan, which by law should have been delivered in July, was not made official.

"The planned steps are being carried out gradually. The city hall maintains confidence in the viability of the initiative and the completion of the project, which will contribute to the development of the region and to the enhancement of the Olympic legacy", said in a statement the municipality's Companhia Carioca de Parcerias e Investimentos, responsible for the project.

The new plans do not include sports investments promised at the time of the Games. There was a project to build an athletics track and accommodation for athletes. The COB states that it requested the work from the municipality, which has not yet been carried out.

"It is important to remember that the Olympic Training Center was never made up of just Arenas 1, 2 and 3. The project always included equipment from Barra da Tijuca and Deodoro. And it became a reality. Today, the Maria Lenk Water Park and the Multipurpose Arena (Farmasi Arena) are permanently used by the COB. Arena Carioca 1 hosts national and international competitions, such as the Pan-American Rhythmic Gymnastics Championship held this year. The Velodrome maintains a intense sports program, and the Vila Olímpica serves around 2,000 people by offering 33 free sports and leisure activities for the locals", stated the city hall, in a statement.

Arena Carioca 2, which would initially be used as a new training area for Olympic athletes, will become a federal institute.

The COB states that it considered competing for the management of Arena Carioca 1, granted to the private sector, but withdrew because "there was no financial and operational viability, as it would require a large investment for a non-profit institution".

Among the stadiums in the Olympic Park, the main "white elephant" is the Olympic Tennis Center, which was idle for almost the entire ten-year period. For most of this decade, it was under federal government administration. The arena is also included in the concession package to Rock World.

"Since the municipality resumed the legacy project, the [tennis] arena has once again been used by the population. Despite not hosting major competitions with the frequency of other equipment, this does not mean that it is without function. The city hall, for example, uses this space in various activities, such as summer camps promoted for children and young people", declared the Cavaliere management, in a note.

Both Arena 1 and the Tennis Center can be commercially operated by the new concessionaire.

The Velodrome must be maintained for sporting and social activities. The site houses the Olympic Museum, which will be managed by Rock World. The arena suffered a fire in its roof in April. The city hall will invest R$10.7 million for the reconstruction, expected to be completed in six months.

The city also has plans to use the Media Center as a data center complex focused on artificial intelligence. The idea, however, still boils down to a memorandum of intent.

The implementation of the legacy plans only occurred in recent years. The delay was mainly due to the abandonment of the planning carried out by former mayor Marcelo Crivella (Republicans), who took over the municipality in 2017.

Paes resumed and