Long Beach to spend at least $740 million to prepare for 2028 Olympics

Long Beach released a detailed plan of investments over the next five years in order to prepare for the global spotlight of the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Its Elevate ‘28 plan lays out $747 million in park, cultural and infrastructure improvements, some of which still require sources of funding. 

In 2026, Los Angeles will be one of 16 cities hosting a game for the FIFA World Cup, bringing an influx of tourists to Long Beach. 

Two years later, Long Beach will host various events for the 2028 Summer Olympics including rowing, handball, BMX, canoeing, water polo and open-water swimming. Like many other cities that have hosted the games, Long Beach is planning on spending hundreds of millions in order to prepare for the roughly 10,000 athletes and many fans who will visit. 

“We have to make sure that our youth and diverse neighborhoods in our city not only feel included in this, but also receive direct benefits from the city’s planning efforts leading up to these large-scale events,” Mayor Rex Richardson said at a public budget meeting on Aug. 1. 

Public Works Director Eric Lopez joked that the City took the “five-year plan and gave it a more exciting name,” but the City has also given it an extra $214.6 million from Measure A funds, grants, bonds and “other funding sources.” 

“It’s a real opportunity for us to really get our city together and make sure everyone feels included.”

Mayor Rex Richardson

Historically, nearly every city that has hosted the Olympics spends billions on infrastructure improvement, security and indirect costs. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Beijing, China spent $52.7 billion to host the 2008 Olympics and only made $3.6 billion in revenue. 

London invested $13.3 billion to prepare its city for the 2012 Olympics and made $5.2 billion. 

A Marketplace article from 2022 pointed out that cities that choose to build entirely new stadiums such as Montreal, Canada and Athens, Greece were left with buildings that cost taxpayers millions for many years after the games were completed, while remaining empty most of the year. 

Much like when Los Angeles hosted the Olympics in 1984, LA and Long Beach plan to use already existing infrastructures, improving those landmarks and the areas around it rather than creating something new. 

Last year’s projected five-year investment infrastructure plan was $533 million. Through $55 million in Measure A funds and $158.9 million “from other funding sources,” the City now has a total of $747 million to prepare to “showcase Long Beach to the world.” 

“It’s a real opportunity for us to really get our city together and make sure everyone feels included,” Richardson said. 

Richardson said this money will be funneled into park improvement, youth sports facilities, arts and cultural centers and historical landmarks. 

The Elevate ‘28 plan can be broken down into the following sections: 

2028 Olympic Legacy 

This category is receiving the largest investment from the newly-identified $214 million in funds. The 2028 Olympic Legacy, which includes Queen Mary improvements, Convention Center improvements and Belmont Pier improvements, will receive $179.98 million. 

Here are all the projects planned for the Olympic Legacy: 

• Convention and Entertainment Center – $50 million
• Shoreline Drive realignment planning and design – $30.3 million
• Alamitos Bay water quality enhancements – $30 million 
• Fire Station 9 construction – $20 million
• Queen Mary improvements – $11 million 
• Long Beach Airport improvements – $8 million
• Belmont Pool – $8 million
• Concrete crew pilot and crack & slurry seal program – $2.65 million
• Trash interceptor barge installation – $2.5 million 
• Stormwater management funding – $2.45 million
• City-wide wayfinding signage – $2.4 million
• Convention Center parking garage improvements – $2 million
• City Place parking improvements – $1.83 million
• Tidelands island freeway open space: Planning and preliminary design – $1.6 million
• Homeless response infrastructure projects – $1.5 million
• Advertising district planning – $1.5 million
• Seventh Street traffic and street light upgrades – $1 million
• Belmont Pier (includes grant matches) – $1 million 
• Queensway Bay Area redevelopment: Planning and preliminary design – $1 million
• Wayfinding signage for LA River & Del Amo Bridge – $600,000
• Watershed trash capture at DeForest Wetlands – $250,000
• Marine Stadium improvements (includes grant matches) – $200,000 
• Terminal Island Freeway open space: Planning and preliminary design – $150,000
• East Village lighting upgrades – $50,000

Lopez said that some of the funding for these projects requires discussion and approval by the City Council. He identified the Convention Center, Alamitos Bay and Belmont Pool investments as top priorities, adding that these locations will be hosting Olympic events. 

Gold Medal Park Refresh

Though the parks in Long Beach will not be hosting Olympic events, Public Works Director Eric Lopez said part of the City’s five-year plan is “not just to help us prepare for the Olympics, but to benefit our youth and our families for generations to come.”

The City has laid out $24.83 million in the following park and open space improvements: 

• Martin Luther King Jr. Park Master Planning, restroom renovations, critical repairs to Community Center – $3.7 million
• Heartwell Park Sports Complex; new track and field turf – $3.5 million
• Bixby Park improvements – $3 million
• El Dorado Park improvements – $2.1 million
• Houghton Park sports complex – $2 million
• Ramona Park Signature Playground – $1.675 million
• Scherer Park Signature Playground – $1.5 million
• DeForest Park improvements – $800,000
• 14th Street Park; vacant parcel park, lighting and playground improvements – $750,000
• Davenport Park; basketball court – $500,000
• Drake Chavez Park playground design – $500,000
• Hamilton Loop / 91 Freeway greenbelt – $500,000
• Houghton Park Community Center improvements – $500,000
• Hudson Park improvements – $500,000
• Ramona Park Pool planning and preliminary design – $500,000
• Peace Park playground – $450,000
• MacArthur Park renovation – $400,000
• Veterans Park Community Center roof repair – $350,000
• Admiral Kidd Park improvements – $250,000
• Silverado Park improvements – $250,000
• DeForest Park playground design – $200,000
• El Dorado Parking lot improvements – $200,000
• Greenbelt Heights walking path planning and preliminary design – $200,000
• Recreation Park bandshell design and permitting – $200,000
• Silverado Park Signature Playground – $200,000
• Wardlow Park Community Center enhancements – $100,000

Community & Cultural Investments

Lopez said this is the first time the City has identified specific projects for cultural investments to “expand upon our cultural strengths” to the tune of $9.8 million. 

Cultural investment projects include: 

• Community Centers enhancements – $2.65 million 
• LGBTQ+ Broadway corridor vision, design and construction – $1.5 million
• Cambodia Town grand entrance – $1 million
• Expo Arts building facility improvements / African American Cultural Center – $1 million
• Latino Cultural Center & Mercado planning and preliminary design – $500,000
• LGBTQ+ Cultural center planning and design – $500,000
• Seaside Park Youth Center planning and preliminary design – $500,000
• VIP Records sign placemaking and signage – $500,000
• West Side digital inclusion – $500,000
• West Side pedestrian and bike safety improvements – $500,000
• African American Cultural District feasibility study – $300,000
• Santa Fe Ave. Business Improvement District feasibility study – $150,000
• Long Beach Historical Society facility improvements – $100,000
• Mural and public art restorations city-wide – $100,000