Tokyo is leaning towards building new but cheaper venues for some 2020 Olympic Games events rather than moving them elsewhere, Japanese media reported on Thursday.

The city’s authorities are unlikely to make major changes to the plans for several Games venues, but will instead make efforts to pare costs, newspapers reported.

Tokyo’s governor, Yuriko Koike, ordered a review of ballooning Olympic expenses that recommended changing three venues in an effort to rein in costs that were projected to hit 3tn yen ($26.6bn), four times the estimates made when Tokyo won the right to host the Games.

Cost-cutting proposals included moving rowing and canoe/kayak sprint events 400km (250 miles) north of Tokyo to use existing facilities rather than building new ones in the capital, a move opposed by Olympic and sports officials.

But the city now appears to prefer building new venues for these and several other events in Tokyo as originally planned, although it would cut costs by modifying plans, the Nikkei and other papers reported, quoting people connected with the matter.

For the rowing and canoe/kayak site, known as the Sea Forest Waterway, the city planned to cut costs from 49.1bn yen to 29.8bn yen by building temporary seats, the Nikkei said.

Similar modifications would be made for planned gymnastics and swimming venues, it said, adding that a final decision would be made at a meeting between Tokyo officials, central government, 2020 organisers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the end of November.

A Tokyo government official and Tokyo 2020 declined to comment, citing ongoing discussions.

Tokyo 2020 added in a statement: “As for the process and the details of the working group meetings, all four parties have already agreed that these will not be announced publicly until we reach a conclusion.”

Tokyo’s original bid pledged to keep most venues within 8km of the athlete’s village in downtown Tokyo, though several have already been moved. Cycling will take place in Shizuoka prefecture, about 200km west of Tokyo.

IOC reforms known as “Agenda 2020” – carried out with the aim of making the Olympics more sustainable – urge the use of existing facilities, even in other cities or countries, if it makes financial and practical sense.

But the IOC’s president, Thomas Bach, said last month that while the IOC was concerned about rising costs for the Tokyo Games, the experience of the athletes had to be a priority for any planning.