PRESS RELEASE

Mayor Robert Garcia, Councilmember Suzie Price, the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Marine, and the Tidelands Capital Improvement Division invite the public to the Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool "Closing Ceremony" on Sunday, Oct. 26, from 1 to 2:30 pm. 

“Having swam and used the Belmont Pool on multiple occasions, it is important that we honor the pool's rich aquatic past, and give a proper 'goodbye' to a Long Beach institution that has provided recreational and athletic opportunities to hundreds of thousands of residents over the years,” Mayor Garcia said.

“The Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool has been the aquatic home for so many people, including several of our Olympians and, just as important, all the children, families and recreational swimmers who have enjoyed using the pool,” Councilmember Suzie Price said. 

The pool was closed in January 2013 when it was determined that the Belmont Pool Natatorium was seismically and structurally unsafe.

Though the pool itself cannot be accessed, attendees can view the pool from the inside of the lifeguard office located in a seismically safe portion of the building. Attendees are invited to bring trophies, medals, and other pool memorabilia to share memories of the pool. Light refreshments will be served.  

The Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool opened in 1968, and hosted the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials that year and in 1976, as well as NCAA championships in 1974 and 1978 and several collegiate conference championship events. It was a training site during the 1984 Olympic Games held in Los Angeles. In addition, more than 200,000 recreational users enjoyed swimming in the pool every year. 

The Belmont Plaza Temporary Pool opened in December 2013, so the community could continue to have year-round access to a versatile pool with ample opportunities for recreational and lap swimming, water exercise classes, competitive swimming and water polo programs.

The City Council approved programmatic plans for the new Belmont Beach and Aquatic Center on October 21, 2014.  The Center's plans include multiple bodies of water and a separated diving well.  The design and environmental review processes continue, with hopes to begin construction in 2016.

The demolition, set to begin in late October, will take approximately six months to complete. 

For more information on the Belmont Pool Closing Ceremony, please call 562.570.3150.