Measure A, which is funded by taxpayers, is one of the main sources of funding for the Long Beach Elevate ‘28 Olympic infrastructure plan.
Long Beach’s Elevate ‘28 plan received a $10 million boost at Tuesday’s city council meeting, bringing the four-year infrastructure plan to a whopping $758 million as the city prepares to host the 2028 Olympics.
The increase is being drawn from Measure A funds, which voters approved in 2016 and extended indefinitely in 2020, which increased the sales tax in order to fund infrastructure and public safety services in Long Beach. Historically, the funds have been used on infrastructure improvements such as roads, sidewalks and parks as well as funding the police and fire services.
Measure A is funding 38% of the Elevate ‘28 planned improvements, a 10% increase in Measure A funds since the last Elevate ‘28 update in August 2023.
“The City of Long Beach is wasting no time rolling out the Elevate ‘28 plan,” said Mayor Rex Richardson at the Tuesday city council meeting. “The Olympics are coming in 2028, but these aren’t necessarily Olympic facilities.”
The Elevate ‘28 plan lays out improvements for over 180 projects including cultural centers, parks, public facilities and dozens of roads in what will be the largest infrastructure investment the City has ever executed.
Long Beach first introduced the slew of improvements as the $533 Five-Year Infrastructure Plan in mid-2023, then increased funds and changed the name to Elevate ‘28 in August 2023.
Councilmembers pointed out that some of the projects laid out in the Elevate ‘28 plan have already been updated in the past decade, and asked for the plan to differentiate between projects already in progress and those that will begin under the Elevate ‘28 plan.
Local resident Senay Kenfe pointed out a similar problem, since some of the projects have been in the works for years, such as the Martin Luther King Jr. Park improvements and the MacArthur Park rehabilitation project, which account for four of the eight Elevate ‘28 projects planned for the sixth district.
Public Works Director Eric Lopez said his team is working on a website to keep the public updated on timelines and funding for Elevate ‘28 projects, which will launch in the next month and be updated quarterly.
Projects are broken down into five categories:
- 2028 Olympic Legacy, which focuses on improving already existing structures and neighborhoods, is estimated to cost $186,277,918
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- $38.3 million from Measure A
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- $148 million from additional funding
- Community and Cultural Investments, which include community centers, the Broadway corridor and Cambodia Town, are estimated to cost $12,150,000
- $11.5 Measure A
- $650,000 additional funding
- Gold Medal Park Refresh projects, which detail improvements for 26 of the city’s parks, are estimated to cost $31,840,000
- $16.7 million Measure A
- $15.14 million additional funding
- Mobility and safety improvements, which include major corridor, alley and sinkholes and drainage improvements are estimated to cost $327,623,000
- $100.7 million Measure A
- $227 million additional funding
- Park improvements, which are different from the Park Refresh projects, include 45 items such as restrooms, community gardens and playground improvements and are estimated to cost $46,825,000
- $34.4 Measure A
- $12.4 additional funding
- Public facilities such as five libraries, police facilities and health facilities improvements are estimated to cost $46,745,000
- $41 million Measure A
- $5.7 million additional funding
- Right of way / water quality / climate action adaption plan include projects such as Bluff Park lamposts, median improvements, Colorado Lagoon Open Channel restoration and signage and is estimated to cost $80,250,000
- $46.8 million Measure A
- $33.4 million additional funding
- Federal grant match reserves for one-time uses are estimated to be $25,969,045
Residents can see the full updated plan here.
