City government transfers management of the Olympic Park to the Ministry of Sport.

Brazil Agency - The Rio city government today (23) transferred the management of the sports arenas at the Barra Olympic Park, in the west of the city, to the federal government. Under the transfer agreement, the Ministry of Sport will be responsible for the Carioca Arenas 1 and 2, the Olympic Tennis Center and the Velodrome. The ministry will also pay for the dismantling of the Aquatic Stadium.

Arena Carioca 3 will continue to be managed by the Rio de Janeiro city government, which intends to transform it into a full-time school.

The idea is to make the sports complex part of the national network for training grassroots and high-performance athletes, and to have its use shared by social projects and events.

The initial goal was for the Olympic Park to be managed through a public-private partnership (PPP), but the project did not move forward. According to Rio's mayor, Eduardo Paes, the bidding process failed because it was the end of a government's term and due to the economic crisis in Brazil. "With this end-of-government situation, the private sector is unsure if the next mayor will actually want to maintain it," he added.

The Minister of Sport, Leonardo Picciani, said he does not yet know how much the bill will be for the federal government. He stated that the cost of the sports arenas will be determined in the next 30 days. "We will seek measures to reduce this cost," said Picciani, who guaranteed that the Ministry of Sport has the resources in its budget for the maintenance of the facilities.

Picciani predicts that the Olympic Park facilities will be operational again by the first quarter of next year. “We decided to take over [the sports arenas] because it’s a legacy for the population, and indecision would put these facilities at risk. We don’t see this as a cost, but as an investment in Brazilian sport to better prepare our athletes,” he explained.

Recreation Area

The mayor of Rio and the Minister of Sport inaugurated the Olympic Way late this morning, which has been transformed into a large leisure area. The promenade that runs through the entire Olympic Park, from Avenida Abelardo Bueno to the banks of the Jacarepaguá Lagoon, has been landscaped with trees and now features gardens, multi-sports courts, a synthetic grass field, exercise equipment for adults, a senior citizens' fitness area, a skate park, and a children's playground.

According to Paes, the opening to the public will be decided by the mayor-elect Marcelo Crivella. The Wall of Champions – a monument commemorating the Olympic and Paralympic Games with descriptions of all 2.568 medalists from Rio 2016 – was also inaugurated.