Industry leaders, local investors and labor organization members from SoCal and around the country gathered at the Honda Pacific Vision Theater inside the Aquarium of the Pacific on June 26 for the annual Grow Long Beach presentation led by Mayor Rex Richardson.
Throughout this talk, Richardson detailed the progress the city has made over the last year to create a sustainable local economy and plan for the future.
This includes the City’s five key growth sectors introduced during the 2023 Grow Long Beach presentation: Aerospace and Aviation, Automotive, Health Care, Housing and Education, and Arts, Culture and Tourism.
Richardson announced the City’s expectation of adding over 1,000 new “high-paying” jobs within the tech, manufacturing and engineering fields over the next two years. He also brought up Long Beach as a growing destination for expansion and new bases for several businesses.
Another major announcement was that Ford Motor Company will build a 250,000 square foot Research and Development facility in Long Beach, with the intention of creating a “cost-effect consumer Electric Vehicle for production.”
“The arrival of Ford Motor Company, along with the announcement of thousands of new clean tech and high-quality jobs on hand, is evidence that our Grow Long Beach focus is working,” said Richardson in a public statement. “We’re fostering a hub of innovation by expanding engineering, tech and advanced manufacturing – creating jobs that also support families in our local workforce.”
During Richardson’s presentation, several big updates and announcements were made about the city’s aerospace industry sector, including the following:
- SpaceX has renewed its lease for another five years and is more than doubling its West Coast Recovery Operations Hub at the Port of Long Beach from six to 15 acres of dry and submerged land, as well as office and manufacturing space.
- Mayman Aerospace, Ampaire and NovaWurks are all relocating their headquarters to Long Beach.
- In coordination with the Mayor’s Fund for Long Beach, a new Space Beach Advisory Council will be established, creating future collaborations with Space Beach industry leaders.
- The first-ever Space Beach Youth Camp, occurring this summer for local youth ages 16 to 24, will encourage students from local schools to pursue careers in STEM.
- NuSpace PCX Long Beach has renewed its lease for another decade at the Long Beach Airport.
Mayor Richardson announced the 25 selected businesses for Long Beach’s Level Up LB: Extreme Small Business Makeover and Grant Program. The full list of awardees covers a variety of local establishments, such as Sal’s Gumbo Shack and Musical Theatre West. Each business will get the chance to build a new business plan and consult with marketing experts as well as receive $10,000 in grant funding.
The city will host major conventions in the immediate future, with over 290 meetings and conventions booked over the past year. This includes the U.S. Conference of Mayors in 2026 and the annual convention of the Intermodal Association of North America for four years (2028-2031).
Richardson also spent time discussing other industry achievements such as federal investments for clean energy at the Port of Long Beach, affordable housing production, and the City’s involvement in the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Another development update related to the city’s downtown profile was that the new outdoor amphitheater with over 12,000 seats in Downtown Long Beach is anticipated for completion in Summer 2025.
The 2024 Grow Long Beach presentation from Mayor Richardson can be viewed at youtube.com/live/pritcHQkstk?t=152s.
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