Long Beach, California, October 2, 2025
News Summary
A series of major construction projects across Long Beach are advancing: La Playa Hall student housing is progressing on schedule to provide hundreds of campus beds; the Port of Long Beach has hired Jacobs to manage the Pier B on‑dock rail expansion to boost rail capacity and reduce truck traffic; downtown demolition at the former City Place site has begun to make way for Jefferson Long Beach, the first phase of the Mosaic mixed‑use development; and a new project‑management book by a veteran civil engineer offers lessons on change orders, oversight and balancing professional and personal life.
Long Beach construction roundup: La Playa Hall on track for Fall 2026; Port hires Jacobs for Pier B program; City Place cleared for new apartments; project‑management book reviewed
Top lines: Construction on Long Beach State’s newest housing development, La Playa Hall (formally Hillside North student housing), is on schedule and set to open for students in fall 2026. The Port of Long Beach selected Jacobs to provide construction management services for the Pier B On‑Dock Rail Support facility, a move inside a $2.2 billion capital program. Demolition began on the former City Place Shopping Center to make way for 272 rental apartments called Jefferson Long Beach, the first phase of a larger Mosaic plan for 900 units. A new project‑management book by a civil engineer offers practical management and life advice that reinforces the role of people in construction success.
La Playa Hall student housing — key status and timeline
Construction on Long Beach State’s newest housing development, La Playa Hall (formally Hillside North student housing), is on schedule and set to open for students in fall 2026. The project is officially named La Playa Residency Hall (also referred to as Hillside North student housing) and carries a total cost of $126.4 million. Groundbreaking took place in March 2024, and the project received a $53.3 million state grant through the Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program tied to Senate Bill 183.
La Playa Hall will sit in Hillside Village, north of Beach Drive and next to the Hillside Los Alamitos building. When complete, the complex will provide 424 beds across three five‑story buildings connected by exterior bridges. Of those beds, 404 of the 424 beds will be reserved for students under the Long Beach Housing Promise program, a measure that ensures affordable housing for qualifying students.
Work already completed includes site make‑ready, underground utility and foundation work. Crews are working on upper levels, pouring parapet walls and starting rough installations for plumbing, electrical and mechanical piping. The plan is to turn the building over to Housing and Residential Life in July so staff can train residential assistants and move furniture in before the fall semester. The next significant milestone referenced in project notes was pouring the last of the concrete on Oct. 3.
Pier B On‑Dock Rail Support facility — Jacobs awarded construction management
The Port of Long Beach selected Jacobs to provide construction management services for the Pier B On‑Dock Rail Support facility. The Pier B work is part of a broader $2.2 billion capital program. The rail expansion will grow the existing rail yard from 82 acres to 171 acres, increasing on‑dock rail capacity to handle up to 4.7 million 20‑foot containers (TEUs) annually. The expansion aims to reduce truck traffic, lower emissions and improve air quality in nearby areas.
Jacobs used a Program‑Level Support Construction Management approach to integrate staff, provide constructability reviews and coordinate across active projects. Weekly coordination meetings aligned upcoming activities and equipment deliveries, while a single hub for environmental compliance coordinated with the port’s planning division and regulatory agencies. Jacobs expects the Pier B On‑Dock Rail Support facility work to wrap up in 2032.
Downtown Long Beach redevelopment — City Place demolition and Mosaic
Demolition began on the former City Place Shopping Center in Downtown Long Beach. The site, located on Long Beach Boulevard between Fourth and Fifth streets, will be redeveloped by JPI into an eight‑story building that includes nearly 300 apartment units and more than 19,000 square feet of ground‑floor commercial space. JPI’s first building, called Jefferson Long Beach, will include 272 rental apartments, of which 16 are affordable units, and 19,782 square feet of commercial space.
Jefferson Long Beach is the first phase of Mosaic, a plan that envisions three eight‑story buildings with a combined 900 apartment units and 38,405 square feet of commercial space. The full Mosaic development covers parcels between Fourth Street and Sixth Street along the west side of Long Beach Boulevard. Plans include three levels of parking with 373 vehicle parking spaces and 58 bicycle parking spaces, a courtyard and pool area on level four, and a rooftop deck on the eighth floor. A new pedestrian walkway will connect Fifth Street and Sixth Street west of Long Beach Boulevard.
Project‑management book review
A civil engineer’s new book, Ancient Secrets to Project Management: How to Lead and Thrive in Your Professional and Personal Life, blends project‑management guidance with life management chapters. The author draws on experience overseeing about $4 billion of projects, including complex freeways, light rail, dedicated bus lanes and a signature cable‑stayed bridge identified as the Long Beach International Gateway Bridge in project anecdotes.
The book covers change orders with practical measures such as documented conversations with stakeholders, dedicated budget allotments and project‑customized processes to manage change‑order risk. It cautions that project‑management software has limits and that a person running software may not understand every process it documents. The author warns against completely delegating responsibility for areas a project manager does not understand and recommends deep dives into specializations that could create delays, while also urging continuous personal oversight without excessive hovering.
The book includes personal episodes when intense projects affected private life, and it weaves Bible verses through the chapters. The reviewer ultimately recommended the book as a useful reference for project and life advice. Availability includes Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Why these developments matter now
These projects touch key local needs: university housing, freight capacity and air quality, downtown housing and neighborhood reinvention, and better project management in a sector that struggles with cost and schedule overruns. Recent industry surveys show continuing trust gaps in forecasting tools and growing but uneven adoption of machine learning and AI, underlining the ongoing need for sound people‑centered management and careful oversight on major builds.
FAQ
Q: Is Construction on Long Beach State’s newest housing development on schedule?
A: Construction on Long Beach State’s newest housing development, La Playa Hall (formally Hillside North student housing), is on schedule and set to open for students in fall 2026.
Q: What is La Playa Hall officially named and how many beds will it provide?
A: The project is officially named La Playa Residency Hall (also referred to as Hillside North student housing) and will provide 424 beds across three five‑story buildings connected by exterior bridges.
Q: Who was selected to provide construction management services for Pier B and what is the program cost?
A: The Port of Long Beach selected Jacobs to provide construction management services for the Pier B On‑Dock Rail Support facility. The Pier B work is part of a broader $2.2 billion capital program.
Q: What rail yard expansion will the Pier B project achieve?
A: The Pier B project will expand the existing rail yard from 82 acres to 171 acres and increase capacity to handle up to 4.7 million 20‑foot containers (TEUs) annually.
Q: Has demolition started at City Place and what will replace it?
A: Demolition began on the former City Place Shopping Center in Downtown Long Beach. The site will be redeveloped into Jefferson Long Beach, an eight‑story building that includes 272 rental apartments and about 19,782 square feet of commercial space as part of the larger Mosaic plan.
Q: What is the title of the new project‑management book and what key experience does the author cite?
A: The book is titled Ancient Secrets to Project Management: How to Lead and Thrive in Your Professional and Personal Life. The author estimates he has overseen the design and construction of about $4 billion worth of projects over his career.
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Key features at a glance
| Project / Topic | Primary facts | Timeline / Cost |
|---|---|---|
| La Playa Residency Hall | 424 beds across three five‑story buildings; 404 of the 424 beds reserved under the Long Beach Housing Promise program; site next to Hillside Los Alamitos | $126.4 million total; groundbreaking March 2024; open for students in fall 2026; state grant $53.3 million |
| Pier B On‑Dock Rail Support facility | Jacobs selected for construction management; expand rail yard from 82 acres to 171 acres; up to 4.7 million TEUs capacity | Part of $2.2 billion capital program; Jacobs expects work to wrap up in 2032 |
| Jefferson Long Beach / Mosaic | 272 rental apartments in first building; 16 affordable units; 19,782 square feet commercial; three‑building plan totals 900 units | Site spans parcels between Fourth and Sixth streets on Long Beach Boulevard; demolition of City Place started |
| Project‑management book | Title: Ancient Secrets to Project Management: How to Lead and Thrive in Your Professional and Personal Life; author overseen about $4 billion of projects; blends PM advice and life guidance | Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble; covers change orders, software limits, and personal oversight |
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
Additional Resources
- LB Current: New $126 million student housing project nears completion
- Wikipedia: La Playa Hall
- Construction Dive: Jacobs selected for Port of Long Beach project
- Google Search: Pier B On‑Dock Rail Support Port of Long Beach Jacobs
- Jacobs: Redefining port construction — Long Beach project page
- Google Scholar: Port of Long Beach construction management Jacobs
- LB Post: Demolition begins for Jefferson Long Beach / Mosaic development
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Jefferson Long Beach Mosaic JPI
- WLOX: Rock pile marks progress as Long Beach Harbor construction moves forward
- Google News: Long Beach Harbor rock pile construction
Author: Construction NY News
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