Long Beach will hold a community meeting next week to share updates on the years-in-the-making Belmont Beach and Aquatics Center project.
The meeting, which will be held Tuesday, June 27, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Will Rogers Middle School Auditorium, will include the latest information on the facility’s design, a proposed financing strategy and plans for the long-term management of the facility, among other topics, according to a city statement.
Members of the public can also provide feedback on the project.
The proposed Belmont Beach and Aquatics Center has seen several setbacks over the years, including a required redesign after the California Coastal Commission deemed the height of the originally planned domed structure to be too tall, among other objections it had with the initial proposal presented by the city.
The city is also facing another potential hurdle, as voters are slated to weigh in next year on a law that would prohibit new oil wells from being established within 3,200 feet of sensitive areas like houses, schools and health care facilities. If approved, the law would significantly impact the city’s Tidelands Fund, which is primarily funded by oil operations and was tapped to potentially pay for the new pool.
City Manager Tom Modica said last year that if the ballot item becomes law, the project, which was estimated to run $119 million, would need to be slimmed down to something in the $62 million to $75 million range. A reduction of spectator seating and the elimination of some of the recreational swimming areas could bring down the cost, officials said.
Despite the challenges over the years, the city said in a statement Thursday that it is “committed to delivering an inspiring aquatics facility for all age groups that will engage, instruct and train public aquatics users, while providing equitable access to recreational water space for the larger Long Beach community.”
The Will Rogers Middle School Auditorium is at 365 Monrovia Ave. Find more information at belmontpool.com.