The old Long Beach City Hall opened in 1976 and lasted nearly 40 years before the City Council approved a deal for a new $520 million replacement after the existing building was found to have seismic structural issues.

Its replacement is a big departure from the old Brutalist building that sat in the heart of Downtown. Gone are the exposed concrete pillars and black windows that made the old building look somewhat like a fortress.

What’s left is a few steel beams, rubble and a hole in the ground.

The new City Hall opened in July 2019 but the demolition of the old building did not begin until 2021. City officials expect to be done with clearing the old building in the next few months, which will make room for a new residential housing project.

A deal was approved in February to build two residential apartment buildings on the site of the old City Hall to complete the overhaul of Civic Center. The buildings will include 580 units as well as ground-floor retail spaces that could include a grocery store.

— Jason Ruiz

Demolition continues of what’s left of the old City Hall as the morning fog burns off in Long Beach Friday, March 25, 2022. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.
A worker uses an excavator to move earth in what used to be the sub-levels of the former City Hall building Friday, March 25, 2022. Photo by Brandon Richardson.
The new City Hall building can be seen just beyond the few steel beams that remain from the old building Friday, March 25, 2022. Photo by Brandon Richardson.
Sparks fly as a construction worker uses a torch to cut the steel beams of what is left of the old City Hall Friday, March 25, 2022. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.
A construction worker walks past what’s left of the old City Hall as the morning fog burns off Friday, March 25, 2022. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.
Construction workers gather in the middle of the rubble as demolition continues of what’s left of the old City Hall Friday, March 25, 2022. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.
Three workers use torches to to cut through the remaining steel beams at the site of the old City Hall building Friday, March 25, 2022. Photo by Brandon Richardson.
A statue of Abraham Lincoln is framed by the remaining steel beams of the old City Hall as demolition continues Friday, March 25, 2022. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.
Steel beams of what is left of the old City Hall Friday, March 25, 2022. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.
A construction worker uses a torch to cut the remaining steel beams at the old City Hall site Friday, March 25, 2022. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.