Rendering courtesy city of Long Beach
After more than a decade of waiting, it looks like Long Beach might finally get a replacement for the historic Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool.
At a recent Long Beach City Council meeting, the council unanimously approved a construction contract for a new Belmont Beach & Aquatics Center, to be constructed by Bernards Bros. The new pool has gone through several rounds of approvals, delays, and holds before reaching this point, with Mayor Rex Richardson pledging it will be built prior to the Olympics–groundbreaking is expected this year with construction set to be completed in Spring 2028.
“For more than a decade, the Belmont Pool has been talked about. Today, we’re moving from planning to building and putting shovels in the ground,” said Richardson in a statement. “This pool has produced Olympians and world-class swimmers, and Long Beach deserves a world-class facility that reflects that legacy. And world-class facilities should come with world-class access—so we’re proud this project is moving forward with equity in mind.”
The original Belmont Plaza was demolished in 2014 after a seismic study forced its closure. A replacement was promised and over the last decade-plus, many different versions of the pool have been proposed, voted on, and anticipated. The original facility was perhaps the most famous sports facility Long Beach has had, having hosted the Olympics and also produced many Olympians. Its iconic design, history, and reputation made it the crown jewel of the Long Beach coast.
For the last decade, frustration has mounted within the Long Beach aquatics and sports community–something precious was taken from the city’s youth and community with nothing but a high school-caliber temporary replacement offered.
Generations of Long Beach residents grew up learning how to swim for just a couple bucks in a public pool that had also hosted the Olympics–the kind of open-access sports experience that helped produce many of the city’s sports icons (including Billie Jean King, who learned tennis at Long Beach public parks when the instruction was free).
There have been two separate challenges for building the replacement. One was a labyrinthine permit/approval process that required sign-offs from the city and the Coastal Commission, and included legal challenges from nearby residents. The other challenge, which has proven perhaps more formidable, was financial. With oil revenue disappearing, the city will use remaining Tidelands Fund money to fund the construction.
“Reaching this point required careful planning, transparency and responsible stewardship of public resources,” said City Manager Tom Modica in a statement. “Our focus was on delivering a project that is inclusive, financially responsible and buildable — one that balances fiscal realities and regulatory frameworks so the final result can serve Long Beach for generations to come.”
The new pool is not the iconic replacement that was originally promised, but is still impressive, with a 50-meter competition pool and a movable bulkhead, as well as a separate recreational and instructional pool, as well as play areas for kids.
The city has promised it will emphasize low-cost public access programs including transportation to and from the pool.
The construction is expected to cost approximately $60 million, per the city’s press release. More details are available on the city’s website for the project: BelmontPool.com.
Many residents have expressed happiness that a replacement seems near. Local youth aquatic groups including Olympic water polo legend Tony Azevedo’s 908 Water Polo Club came to speak to the City Council in favor of the construction.
One disappointed portion of the sports community locally is divers. The original Belmont had an iconic and well-known diving platform at all the Olympic heights, and some of the previous incarnations of the facility’s replacements included competitive diving platforms as well.
Long Beach-based McCormick Divers, one of the top diving clubs in America, had helped organize efforts to keep the diving platforms. However, their cost kept them out of the final design that was approved.
“We fought so hard for so many years,” said Debby McCormick in an online comment. “The new city council, recreation department and Mayor didn’t seem to care about diving even though we have an amazing team and have had fantastic results.”
