Good morning, Long Beach. It’s Monday, Jan. 19. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.

City meetings

After a decade of downsizing, delays and complications, the Belmont Aquatics Center will — once again — come before the City Council Tuesday for approval. 

If one compared the then-and-now of the plans from 2016 to 2026, you’d likely be left with an unsavory feeling. Mock-ups from 2016 show a $119 million domed natatorium capable of hosting Olympic competitions, surrounded by a futuristic coastal campus. But the vision has been scrapped, time and again, by rising costs, declining oil revenues, legal challenges and mandates by the California Coastal Commission that have ensnared the process. (You can see an overview of how the designs evolved in the city’s slideshow here.)

The original, grander design for the Belmont Pool. Rendering courtesy the city of Long Beach.

Last year, news broke that the city had already spent $22 million on the design and environmental study of the project, giving planners less than $50 million left for construction. 

Both construction bids received last summer were over budget — each coming in at around $60 million — and were rejected. The city restarted the bidding process and reviewed three new offers in October.  

Council members will now decide whether to approve a $105 million spending plan, of which $76 million can be covered by Tidelands funds. Another $24.5 million may need to be paid for using bonds. Under a standard 30-year agreement, the bond would cost $1.5 million paid annually, adding to the expected yearly cost of $3.78 million a year. 

The currently proposed design for the pool complex.

If approved, the city projects construction to be finished by spring 2028. The design will include a 50-meter pool with bleachers, a shallow therapy and learning pool, spray zones and a multi-use building with locker rooms, offices and changing areas. 

This comes with some risk, as the city’s Tidelands fund — which is funded by oil revenue and pays for coastal projects and programs — is expected to enter its first deficit in Fiscal Year 2026, with multimillion-dollar shortfalls between 2028 and 2035. 

In a 60-page presentation, officials say they will seek revenue to offset costs through sponsorships, advertising and philanthropy. They are also working on a plan to begin charging for parking along the Alamitos Bay Marina, which they believe will net $3 million a year. 

Here’s what else you should know about this week:

If you see a playground, you may as well start to slow down. The city is preparing an ordinance to require a 25 mph speed limit on roads next to public playgrounds during daylight hours. According to a street analysis, the change would affect a dozen roads, most of which are higher-volume arterial streets.

The City Council wants more legal power to compel property owners to take care of their vacant or abandoned storefronts and lots. In response, the city has proposed several ways to do so, such as removing part of the appeals process, stricter penalties that must be addressed before a property can be sold, and allowing building and health officials to make emergency abatement orders, among other suggestions. 

The city will recognize the 2026 election calendar, which begins with a nomination period between Feb. 9 and March 6. Primaries will take place on June 2 and general elections are scheduled for Nov. 3. Races this year will include all odd-numbered City Council offices — 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 — as the mayoral race and positions like city prosecutor, auditor and attorney. County, state and federal races will run on the same dates. While the city doesn’t have a cost estimate for the November general election, it figures the June primaries will cost $2.4 million.

Long Beach City College is expected to purchase a 19,000-square-foot lot of city surplus land for $1.4 million. The lot — scattered across 5870 Atlantic Ave., 5885 Lime Ave. and 5895 Lime Ave. — is to be used to build 22 units of affordable housing for students at the college. 

A similar agreement will allow for the city to lease land for the development of a 50-unit, mixed-use apartment tower at 1858 Atlantic Avenue. Plans were proposed by United Cambodian Community to renovate the site, formerly used as a workforce development center but later vacated and damaged in a fire in July 2024. 

The City Council is expected to approve a policy that will set requirements for funding, acquisition, use and reporting of military-grade equipment by the Long Beach Police Department, as mandated by state law. To read the ordinance, click here. 

Business events and information

The Women’s Business Council is hosting a Business Owners Sisterhood Social on Tuesday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Wicked Wolf (2332 Pacific Ave.) For more information, visit here. 

The Small Business Council will have its next luncheon workshop on Wednesday from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is free to attend and available to watch online. For more information, visit here. 

For those decorators, screen printers and embroiderers out there: It’s your time to shine. Impressions Expo Long Beach, the largest apparel marketplace on the West Coast, is having its roadshow across four days at the Long Beach Convention Center from Jan. 21 to 24. For more information, visit here. 

ICYMI — California and national news

After the busiest year ever, Port of Long Beach CEO says he wants to double cargo by 2050 (Long Beach Post)

Long Beach Unified pledges to use local labor on nearly half a billion dollars in construction through 2030 (Long Beach Post)

Construction starts on Long Beach Amphitheater, with concerts set to start in June (Long Beach Post)