Belmont Plaza Pool breaks ground, expected to finish construction by 2028

After almost a decade of planning meetings, constant redesigns and a multi-year lawsuit, the City of Long Beach officially broke ground Saturday morning to rebuild the Belmont Plaza Pool. 

The Belmont Plaza Pool was closed in 2013 and demolished the following year because it was classified as “structurally and seismically unsafe.”  

The new 50-meter pool and 544-seat aquatics complex will cost the City of Long Beach $105 million to build. To fund the project, Long Beach introduced parking meter fees along the coast in 1,800 spots. 

“We certainly recognize our past [and] are building this venue for the future,” Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said in his opening statement at the groundbreaking. “We want this moment in 2028 to be a moment where young people are inspired to go out to their parks, go out to their basketball courts, walk to the pools and really be inspired and become future Olympians, future athletes.”

The Belmont Pool project will host swimming programs, diving meets and professional water polo — bringing a space for both competitive and recreational swimming. 

Long Beach swimmers and water polo players of all ages — from Olympic-level athletes to CIF record-holders — spoke to the Long Beach community Saturday about the impact swimming has made on them. 

“At this pool, and certainly at the former pool, I was able to participate in the first CIF swim meet for high school in 1969,” John McMullen said, with his grandkids at his side. 

“The pool is a gathering place where everybody can participate,” McMullen said. “When people walk into that gate and swim and walk out, they’re feeling better, they’re happy with themselves … I think it’s so important for our community to carry this legacy [of aquatics] through.”

Two Long Beach Olympians, Ryder Dodd and Jessica Hardy, spoke about childhood memories they had in pools and the role Long Beach pools had in their life. 

“I’m proud to say that I’m from Long Beach and that Belmont is my home pool because you can’t beat this location, you can’t beat this community support,” Hardy, an Olympic gold and bronze medalist, said. 

“I have two young kids, six and eight, and they’re the future. You guys are building for the next generation and to continue the legacy for Long Beach,” Hardy said as she began tearing up. “I can’t wait to cheer them on, can’t wait to celebrate and swim in the pool.”

Less Smalz, a 61-year-old born and raised Long Beach resident, grew up swimming in the 1970s.

“[My older brother and I] would take the Long Beach transit down here for a quarter and they would let us swim for 50 cents,” Smalz reminisced. “They had the low dive and high dive and the cement platform diving and this was something special just for us to go down here as youth, and now we want the next generation to experience the good things in life.” 

Smalz said bringing back the Belmont Plaza Pool will bring the swim vibe to Long Beach, mentioning the explosive effect aquatics can have on the next generation.

“Long Beach is getting ready to have a revival when it comes to the water and the ocean and events like swimming….we’re going to have all kinds of competition going on [with LA 28] and it’s going to be amazing. The kids are going to love it, and everybody is going to jump on board,” he said. “This is going to be summertime in the LBC all year long.”

The Belmont Plaza Pool project is expected to be completed in the spring of 2028, just as the Olympics come to Long Beach, when it will host 11 events. 

To learn more about the project, visit the Belmont Pool Project’s website https://www.belmontpool.com/about_the_project.php#benefit.