Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool Update

Long Beach locals have been wondering what’s next for the Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool. The Belmont Beach and Aquatics Center Project is taking longer than originally planned for completion, but it is heading forward in reaching that goal.

The city did receive two bids in May 2025 for the project, but they were higher in cost than what had been budgeted for, and they expected several more to come in. The city now needs to open up the bidding process again, to get more pre-qualified companies to apply and for one of them to get the work.

That comes from project manager Charlene Angsuco, Tidelands Program Manager, who spoke about it during the June 12 meeting of the Marine Advisory Commission’s Tidelands Capital Projects Committee. Angsuco, and Dino D’Emilia, Practice Director – Southwest PMCM, Public Works & Transportation at Ardurra, updated the Beachcomber about the project on July 17.

The Belmont Beach and Aquatics Center Project will be revamped to engage, instruct and train users while providing inclusive and accessible recreational water space for the community, according to the city. The new design will include two new pools for all ages, abilities and entry levels, and will have a zero-depth pool entrance and pool lifts to increase access for all residents.

Local residents were previously able to access the beautiful, art deco-design building to go swimming and enjoy the sophisticated structure. It was part of the Olympic Plaza that was built for the Olympic Swim Trials in 1968 and 1976, and it was a training site for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

That was long ago, and that land has mainly become the location of a large, gated outdoor swimming pool where parents bring their kids for swimming lessons. The Belmont Plaza building is now being used for beach maintenance equipment storage by the city’s Parks, Recreation & Marine Department.

Timing on Revised Project

Angsuco and D’Emilia said that any questions that contractors had in the original bidding process are being refined and worked out in the next version that will soon be released.

The previous version was “too restrictive for specifications. It will become as biddable as possible,” D’Emilia said.

They expect the revisions and release of the next version will be coming out sometime in late August through mid-September. They’re also anticipating that there will be an open period of about eight weeks for submissions of proposals.

The City Council will then determine who will be awarded the project. The California Coastal Commission (CCC) will also need to approve the project before it begins.

The construction project is likely to be completed before the end of 2027. The construction time does not apply to upcoming events such as the 2028 Summer Olympics, as the facility won’t be utilized in the Olympics or any other major scheduled events in the immediate future, they said.

The gated swimming pool, where parents bring their kids for swimming lessons and other activities, will continue to stay in operation throughout the construction process, they said.

How Funding Would Work

The city’s Tidelands Fund is where financing for this project will come from. The city  estimated the total project cost to be $77 million, but some costs have already been paid for with design and engineering already completed. It means that there’s less than $50 million left for the reconstruction project, the city previously said.

‘One reason that the bids are higher than expected seems to be high demand for construction contractors in the region,’ Angsuco said. There’s also concern about being able to find appropriate staffing for the project.

This project started out in 2016 with an initial target of seeking $119 million for a domed building that would be capable of hosting 2028 Olympic competitions. There will be no Olympic events at the refurbished Belmont Plaza in the latest version of the design.

Rising costs and increased regulations have reduced the budgeted amount. Legal challenges from community groups, declining oil revenues and changes coming from CCC have all played their part, too.

The city filed an application on March 13 with the CCC for approval of this project. Technical documents are being sent over by the city as they’re being completed for the current project. Angsuco and D’Emilia expect that the CCC will hold a public hearing for approval of the revised project sometime during this upcoming fall season.

The city has taken a realistic look at what can be included in this remodel, and how much actually can be budgeted and placed in the bid. That has to do with unknown elements tied to the geopolitical factors. Contractors have also been busy proposing major projects in the region, like those announced by the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Los Angeles World Airports, Angsuco said.

The Belmont Beach and Aquatics Center Project is one of several that make up the City’s Elevate ’28 Infrastructure Investment Plan, they said.

You can go to belmontpool.com/project_updates.php for additional updates on the project as it moves forward.

Jon LeSage is a resident of Long Beach and a veteran business media reporter and editor. You can reach him at jtlesage1@yahoo.com.