Long Beach City College (LBCC) held a groundbreaking ceremony today for its new $250 million Stadium and Athletic Sports Complex, a transformative project that will honor the legacy of Veterans Memorial Stadium while creating state-of-the-art athletic facilities for generations of student-athletes and the region.  

“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. “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.” 

“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.  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.” 

The new 285,453-square-foot complex will include a 10,000-seat outdoor stadium, 2,500-seat indoor arena, football and soccer fields, track and field facilities, concessions, training and sports medicine facilities, basketball and volleyball courts, classrooms, offices, and a hall of champions, designed to pay homage to the look, feel, and history of the storied stadium in the form of a top-tier facility that elevates academic and athletic excellence, providing exceptional competition spaces for student-athletes and the wider community. 

Construction on the project began this month, and the facility is anticipated to open in Summer 2029. The project is being designed to achieve the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification. Achieving the LEED Gold Certification means the new athletics complex will operate with lower energy use, reduced environmental impact, and a more comfortable, healthier environment for everyone who uses it.  

Veterans Memorial Stadium originally opened in 1950 and was operated by the City of Long Beach before being sold to Long Beach City College for $1 in 1987. It has been the home stadium for the LBCC Vikings and Long Beach Poly football teams, served as the backdrop for commercials and films, and hosted a wide variety of community events over its seven decades, including graduations, motorcycle races, roller derby, rugby matches, swap meets, and antique markets.   

Funding for the new building is provided through Measure LB, approved by local voters in 2016. 

The project team includes Gensler as the project architect and Swinerton as the general contractor for phase one demolition of the project. LBCCD’s bond management company, the Cordoba Corporation, oversees project management for LBCC.