The Race to 2028
The silver canopy of SoFi Stadium already dominates the skyline of Inglewood, California. But for billionaire developer Stan Kroenke, the job is far from finished. With the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games fast approaching, Kroenke is kicking his real estate engine into overdrive. He wants to transform the surrounding Hollywood Park district into a bustling, year-round destination before the eyes of the world land on Southern California.
It is a massive undertaking. The 300-acre site, once home to the historic Hollywood Park racetrack, is undergoing one of the largest metropolitan updates in the nation. While the stadium itself cost over $5 billion, the broader mixed-use district represents another multi-billion-dollar bet on the future of Los Angeles. Kroenke’s team is racing against a tight clock. The goal is to complete a significant portion of the retail, residential, and hospitality phases in the short, high-stakes window between the final whistle of the 2026 World Cup and the opening ceremony of the 2028 Olympics.
The Two-Year Sprint
The timeline is brutal. In the summer of 2026, SoFi Stadium will host several high-profile matches for the FIFA World Cup. Just two years later, in 2028, it will share hosting duties for the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies, alongside swimming events. That brief 24-month gap is when Kroenke’s development group plans to roll out the next major wave of openings.
“We are building a city, not just a sports complex,” Kroenke has often repeated through his representatives. The vision relies on keeping people on-site long after the game ends. To do that, Hollywood Park needs to feel alive.
Retail, Rooftops, and Rooms
Currently, the site is a mix of active construction zones and newly opened spaces. The NFL Media headquarters already occupies a sleek building next to the stadium. Residents have started moving into the early phases of luxury apartments. But the real test lies in the retail and hospitality sectors.
The master plan calls for up to 890,000 square feet of retail space. Key components include:
- Upscale restaurants and local dining concepts
- Boutique shops and open-air plazas
- A luxury hotel overlooking the community lake
- Dedicated public parks and green spaces
It is a calculated move to capture tourist dollars during the peak Olympic rush. But building is only half the battle. Filling these spaces with high-end tenants is another hurdle. Kroenke’s leasing agents are targeting global brands that want a flagship presence next to the world’s most advanced stadium. They are selling a lifestyle. The pitch is simple: get in now, before the Olympics turn this zip code into the center of the global sports universe.
Transforming Inglewood
This rapid development has fundamentally changed Inglewood. Once a working-class city that struggled after the departure of the Lakers and Kings in the late 1990s, Inglewood is now a sports capital. Alongside SoFi Stadium, the city now boasts the Intuit Dome, the brand-new home of the LA Clippers.
This boom brings complications. Longtime residents worry about gentrification and rising housing costs. Traffic during major events is already a headache. Kroenke’s team has worked to smooth these relations by promising local jobs and dedicating portions of the development to public parks and community spaces. Yet, the pressure to deliver a polished, high-end environment for international visitors remains the top priority.
The Finish Line
As bulldozers continue to move dirt in the shadow of SoFi Stadium, the urgency is palpable. The transition from a football stadium surrounded by parking lots to a vibrant, walkable neighborhood is the ultimate goal. For Stan Kroenke, Hollywood Park is more than a real estate portfolio. It is a legacy project.
With billions already spent and billions more on the line, the next four years will decide if this ambitious gamble pays off. If successful, Hollywood Park will not just host the world in 2028—it will keep them coming back for decades.
