The City of Long Beach unveiled the expansion to the Houghton Park Community Center during a livestream hosted by 9th District Councilmember Rex Richardson.
“The opening of the new Houghton Park Community Center is a testament to years of community planning and advocacy here in Uptown,” said Councilmember Rex Richardson. “Our community is now home to the city’s newest and largest community center at the site of an important historic landmark. I look forward to celebrating with our neighbors once we can fully open it for public use.”
The expanded community center was built around the previous building, which was built in the 1930’s. The two buildings connect via a breezeway from the new expansion.
The community center was build to promote sustainability and be more energy efficient, which earned it a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver rating.
The property was also build with drought tolerant landscaping, which helps the building and courtyard cut down on water usage, and polycarbonate panels that bring in natural daylight.
The parking lot has also been updated with the addition of Electric Vehicle (EV) parking and a redesigned school bus loading and unloading zone. Additional bicycle parking has also been added.
The Public Works Department started construction on the building in March 2018. The project was funded by Measure A and other funding sources, including a one-time fund from FY14.