Mayor shares Long Beach’s focus on sports, entertainment, economic growth at State of the City

Mayor Rex Richardson discussed an array of governmental priorities during the annual State of the City address on Tuesday, Jan. 13, from building a world-class waterfront amphitheater and unveiling the name of Long Beach’s new professional baseball team, to creating new job opportunities and addressing housing and homelessness issues.

The theme of this year’s address was “A Future Built by All of Us,” which outlined how coordinated investments in jobs, housing, culture, global events and public safety will bring growth to Long Beach within the next year — and for decades to come. This growth, however, will also come as the city begins navigating its budget deficit and investing in ways to generate new revenue.

“We’re strongest when we stand together across neighborhoods, across cultures, across generations, grounded in the belief that every resident deserves dignity, safety and opportunity, no matter their ZIP code, background or their identity,” Richardson said from the Terrace Theater stage. “A future where every family and every young person and every small business can thrive. Now, that future doesn’t happen by chance; it’s a future that’s built by all of us.”

The mayor’s address highlighted the city’s investment in making Long Beach a sports and entertainment destination. Major players in the sports industry have already placed their bets on the city.

Downtown Long Beach, for example, has been selected to host the official FIFA World Cup Fan Zone, Richardson announced on Tuesday. This summer, Pine Avenue will be activated through a multiweek celebration supported by regional partners and major sponsors. The event is supported by a $380,000 grant from Los Angeles Metro.

Long Beach will also play a major role in the 2028 Summer Games – by hosting 11 Olympic and seven Paralympic events. The mayor helped announce the Olympic Federation of Ireland’s selection of the coastal city as the location for its team hospitality house, joining Greece and Denmark.

Further cementing the city’s role as a global center for aquatics and water sports ahead of the 2028 Games, Speedo – the international swimwear company – announced during the address that it would move its North American headquarters from Cypress to Long Beach.

Other investments into the city’s long-standing identity as a global center for water sports will be made as well, Richardson said.

“After more than a decade of planning, funding challenges and hard conversations, the city of Long Beach is finally moving forward with the rebuilding of the Belmont Pool,” the mayor said. “The Long Beach City Council will consider the final plan for approval for Jan. 20, ensuring that the project will be completed by summer 2028 in time for the Olympic Games.”

Highlights of Long Beach’s growth in the sports and entertainment economy, Richardson said, also included the unveiling of the Long Beach Baseball Club’s official team name – the Long Beach Coast and Long Beach Regulators – as well as the construction and opening of the Long Beach Amphitheater along the city’s waterfront.

“Through public-private partnerships, we’ve already secured more than $11 million in sponsorships, more than half of the cost it took to build the facility,” Richardson said about the amphitheater. “That’s a one-of-a-kind, first-of-its-kind waterfront venue delivered responsibly.”

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson delivers the State of the...

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson delivers the State of the City address, titled “A Future Built by All of Us,” at the Terrace Theater on Tuesday January 13, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson is joined on stage by his family after delivering the State of the City address, titled “A Future Built by All of Us,” at the Terrace Theater on Tuesday January 13, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

Anti-ICE protesters disrupt the State of the City address at the Long Beach Terrace Theater on Tuesday January 13, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

A choir opens the mayor’s State of the City address, titled “A Future Built by All of Us,” at the Terrace Theater on Tuesday January 13, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

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These efforts are part of the city’s vision to advance economic development by diversifying and building an economy where everyone thrives, bolsters key industry sectors and builds a sustainable local economy through its Grow Long Beach initiative. This comes at a time when Long Beach faces a looming budget deficit, cuts to state and federal funding, and less reliance on oil revenue.

Despite these uncertainties, Richardson announced that Long Beach will keep working on its economic growth and create new job opportunities for its residents.

Over the past three years, Long Beach has created more than 4,000 jobs in aerospace, clean technology and advanced manufacturing, the mayor said. This year, Long Beach will launch a new public-private partnership committed to bringing another 4,000 jobs in these sectors, dubbed “Acceler8 by ‘28,” with a focus on connecting Long Beach residents directly to those opportunities.

Supporting small businesses in the city is also a priority, Richardson said. In the city’s fiscal year 2026 budget, about $9 million will be invested into local small businesses through the “Back to Business” program, providing direct grants and technical assistance to local entrepreneurs. The program is intended to help stabilize neighborhood corridors, support minority- and women-owned businesses, and ensure small businesses remain a cornerstone of Long Beach’s economic recovery and long-term growth.

While the city does offer this support, the reality for some small businesses in the city is completely different. Owners have turned to their community for help, started fundraising pages to ensure that their doors don’t close because of rent increases or slow business, among other reasons.

Long Beach also continues working to attract new businesses. Marathon Burger, a Los Angeles restaurant led by Blacc Sam and the Broadus family, will open a new location on Pine Avenue, bringing a nationally recognized, culturally rooted brand to downtown Long Beach, the owners announced during the address. The restaurant is anticipated to open on March 1.

Richardson also highlighted progress in expanding housing and shelter capacity across Long Beach over the past three years, such as reaching the milestone of more than 5,000 housing units approved and in the pipeline, and an 84% increase in city-owned shelter beds. He mentioned the city’s commitment to continuing its efforts to address housing and homelessness issues through its “Upstream LB” plan, which centers around prevention for seniors on fixed incomes, youth aging out of foster care and families one emergency away from crisis.

“We’ve expanded our outreach through systems like our mobile access centers and street teams, mental health clinicians who reach people where they are,” Richardson said. “All of that together, outreach, shelter, it’s working. Long Beach has now seen consecutive years of declining street homelessness, people living in tents on our streets for the last consecutive years.”

Long Beach did increase the number of chronically homeless people it helped find shelter, but still saw a 6.5% hike in the overall population, according to its 2025 point-in-time tally of those without permanent shelter. This year’s homeless count is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 22.

The State of the City address, however, was not without drama. While speaking about housing and later in the presentation, Richardson was interrupted three times by protestors. One protestor shouted “When are you going to protect Black workers?” while the following two interuptions were done by anti-ICE protestors, who shouted “ICE out of Long Beach,” and “Do more” to the elected official on stage. The protestors were escorted out of the theater by the Long Beach Police Department, which had an increased presence at the event.

Richardson responded by listing the efforts Long Beach and its City Council have made to protect its immigrant communities. Last year, for example, the council strengthened the Long Beach Values Act, and allocated around $5 million toward legal services, housing stability and financial support for immigrant families in Long Beach.

“Let me say this directly and unequivocally clear: ICE does not belong in our city, ICE does not belong in our hotels, ICE does not belong in our schools, not in our places of worship, not in our places of work, not in Long Beach,” Richardson said during the address, which was met with applause from the audience. “The reason why this is so important for all of us to focus on is that the presence undermines the trust that our community holds together. It doesn’t make us safer as we’ve seen so clearly from the chaos caused by ICE here at home and in communities across the country.”

Local immigrant rights organizations and community members continue advocating for the city do more to protect its immigrant communities and get U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement out of Long Beach. Several demonstrations were held in the past week with the same message by residents and local organizations.

In addition to these announcements, the mayor also outlined continued progress on infrastructure investment, public safety, youth career pathways and neighborhood revitalization.

Mayor shares Long Beach’s focus on sports, entertainment, economic growth at State of the City – Press Telegram

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