California Construction News staff writer
Long Beach City College has broken ground on a $250-million Stadium and Athletic Sports Complex that will replace Veterans Memorial Stadium with a new 285,453-sq. ft. athletics and education facility.
Construction began this month, with the complex expected to open in summer 2029. The project is being funded through Measure LB, a bond measure approved by local voters in 2016.
The new complex will include a 10,000-seat outdoor stadium, a 2,500-seat indoor arena, football and soccer fields, track and field facilities, basketball and volleyball courts, concessions, training and sports medicine facilities, classrooms, offices and a Hall of Champions.
The design is intended to commemorate the history of Veterans Memorial Stadium while providing modern facilities for LBCC student-athletes, students and the broader community.
“This groundbreaking marks a major step forward in how we support our student-athletes at Long Beach City College,” said Dr. Mike Muñoz, superintendent-president of LBCC. “This new complex will give our students access to modern athletic and instructional spaces designed to support their success both in competition and in the classroom.”
The project is designed to achieve LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, with the goal of reducing energy use and environmental impacts while improving conditions for people using the facility.
Veterans Memorial Stadium opened in 1950 and was originally operated by the City of Long Beach. Long Beach City College acquired the stadium for $1 in 1987.
The stadium has been home to the LBCC Vikings and Long Beach Poly football teams and has hosted graduations, motorcycle races, roller derby, rugby matches, swap meets and antique markets. It has also been used as a location for commercials and films.
“With the support of local voters through Measure LB, we have an opportunity to preserve that spirit and write a new chapter for Long Beach City College and the community we serve,” said Uduak-Joe Ntuk, president of the Long Beach Community College District Board of Trustees and a former Vikings football player.
Gensler is the project architect, while Swinerton is the general contractor for the first phase of demolition. Cordoba Corporation is overseeing project management for the Long Beach Community College District.
