The City Council voted to name the sports complex at Chittick Field after former Councilman Dee Andrews, a three-term councilman who represented the Central Long Beach area and helped secure funding for the facility.
The field, which sits just east of the Long Beach City College Pacific Coast campus, will be called the Dee Andrews Sports Complex at Chittick Field. Councilman Al Austin requested the name change in honor of Andrews, who helped secure nearly $10 million to remodel it.
Andrews was an All-American track and football player at Poly High School, where he also became the school’s first African-American student body president. Andrews eventually ascended to the National Football League, where he played a short stint with the Dallas Cowboys.
When he returned to Long Beach, Andrews taught at both Poly and Wilson high schools. He earned the nickname “Son of the Sixth,” the council district that he eventually was elected to represent for 12 years. Andrews lost his bid to serve a fourth term in 2020 to Suely Saro.
“This is an iconic figure who we are celebrating and recognizing with this vote,” Austin said, adding that Andrews had shown a commitment to the city for several decades.
Renaming the sports complex after Andrews was widely supported by members of the community who said Andrews was an inspiration to the Central Long Beach community that he lived, worked and served in for decades.
The installation of a park flag sign to mark the new name of the facility is expected to cost about $2,300, according to a city report.
Mayor Robert Garcia said that Andrews made a lasting impact on the community.
“This is a very fitting and very important way to recognize someone’s life contributions,” Garcia said.