In 1950, Long Beach opened Veterans Memorial Stadium; sold to its city college for $1 in 1987, it is now being replaced by a $250 million, 285,453-sq-ft sports complex
Long Beach City College has broken ground on a $250 million stadium and sports complex, starting a major redevelopment that will replace its 76-year-old Veterans Memorial Stadium with a modern 285,453-square-foot sports precinct. The redevelopment was officially launched during a groundbreaking ceremony at the college’s Liberal Arts Campus. The historic stadium will be demolished to make way for a new regional sports hub, which is expected to open in summer 2029. According to official announcements from Long Beach City College and reports by local news outlet Long Beach Patch, the new 18-acre complex will include a 10,000-seat outdoor stadium, a 2,500-seat indoor arena, specialised track and field facilities, and dedicated football and soccer fields. The project is being funded through Measure LB, an $850 million facilities bond approved by local voters in 2016 to upgrade campus infrastructure. Veterans Memorial Stadium first opened in 1950 under city ownership before it was transferred to Long Beach City College for just $1 in 1987. For about seven decades, the 11,600-seat concrete venue served as an important sports and community centre across Southern California.
Multi-purpose sports centre to bring facilities together
The new 285,453-square-foot sports complex has been designed to bring athletic activities together in one location. Previously, many of the college’s sports facilities were spread across different parts of the Liberal Arts Campus. Along with the main 10,000-seat outdoor stadium and 2,500-seat indoor arena, the project will include training facilities, sports medicine and rehabilitation areas, kinesiology classrooms, administrative offices, basketball and volleyball courts, concession stands and a Hall of Champions honouring former student-athletes. “Veterans Memorial Stadium has been part of our community’s fabric for more than 75 years, and as a former Viking football player, I know how personal this place is to so many of us,” said Uduak-Joe Ntuk, President of the Long Beach Community College District Board of Trustees, in a press statement issued by the college. “It has served as a gathering place for students, families, athletes, veterans, and the broader community. 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.”Dr Mike Muñoz, Superintendent-President of Long Beach City College, said the new facilities would benefit both students’ academic and athletic development. “This groundbreaking marks a major step forward in how we support our student-athletes at Long Beach City College,” Dr. Muñoz noted in the press release. “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. What matters most is what our students will be able to accomplish here, and I look forward to seeing how this investment helps them reach their full potential.” Project managers also plan to seek Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification for the complex. The project will include energy-efficient power systems, recycled materials and sustainable water management.
Demolition marks end of local sports era
The stadium’s history dates back to 1945, when 17 local soldiers serving in the South Pacific wrote to city officials asking for a stadium dedicated to local residents killed during World War II. The venue opened five years later in 1950 and soon became more than just a sports facility. During its seven decades of operation, Veterans Memorial Stadium served as the home of the Long Beach City College Vikings and Long Beach Polytechnic High School football teams. It also hosted regional track meets, high school graduation ceremonies, motorcycle races, roller derby, rugby matches, swap meets and commercial film shoots. The redevelopment began with site clearance and structural demolition. Architecture firm Gensler is designing the new complex, while Swinerton is the general contractor responsible for the first phase of demolition. Cordoba Corporation is managing the overall project for the college district. During construction, local high schools and college sports teams that regularly used the stadium will move their competitions and graduation ceremonies to other regional facilities.
