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: major projects on the move and a new project‑management book
What’s new: 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 has selected Jacobs to provide construction management services for the Pier B On‑Dock Rail Support facility, part of a $2.2 billion capital program. Downtown demolition has begun at the former City Place shopping center to make way for Jefferson Long Beach, the first of three buildings in the Mosaic plan that together will deliver 900 apartment units. Also covered here is a review of a new project‑management book by a civil engineer who has overseen billions in projects.
La Playa Residency Hall — student housing on schedule
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 total cost is $126.4 million. Groundbreaking occurred in March 2024. The project is partially funded by a $53.3 million state grant through the Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program. The state grant funding is tied to Senate Bill 183.
The La Playa Hall complex will be located in Hillside Village, north of Beach Drive and next to the Hillside Los Alamitos building on the CSULB campus. When finished, the complex will provide 424 beds across three five‑story buildings connected by exterior bridges. 404 of the 424 beds will be reserved for students under the Long Beach Housing Promise program.
Key delivery milestones already completed include underground utility and foundation work and site make‑ready. Crews are working on upper levels and were pouring parapet walls while starting rough installations for piping for plumbing, electrical and mechanical systems. The goal is construction completion by mid‑ to late July so the building can be turned over to Housing and Residential Life ahead of the fall term.
Project leaders say the biggest challenges have been navigating approvals from state and local entities and getting approvals in time to keep progress moving. The next significant milestone scheduled was pouring the last of the concrete on Oct. 3.
Pier B On‑Dock Rail Support facility — Jacobs selected for construction management
The Port of Long Beach selected Jacobs to provide construction management services for the Pier B On‑Dock Rail Support facility, part of the port’s overall $2.2 billion capital program. The Pier B project will expand the existing rail yard from 82 acres to 171 acres and will more than triple on‑dock rail capacity to handle up to 4.7 million 20‑foot containers (TEUs) annually.
The expansion is intended to significantly reduce truck traffic, lower emissions and improve air quality in surrounding areas. Jacobs expects work on the Pier B On‑Dock Rail Support facility to wrap up in 2032. The Jacobs selection used a Program‑Level Support Construction Management (PLSCM) approach, which allowed shared staffing, constructability reviews, and integration of Jacobs experts with the port’s internal construction team to keep schedules on track.
PLSCM practices cited include weekly coordination meetings to align upcoming activities and equipment deliveries, a single hub for environmental compliance oversight to coordinate with regulatory agencies, and sustainability steps such as ship‑to‑shore crane integration and repurposing surplus materials. A months‑long PLSCM coordination effort reduced the overall schedule delay by six months across phases of the program.
Downtown Long Beach redevelopment — City Place demolition and Jefferson Long Beach
Demolition began on the former City Place Shopping Center on Long Beach Boulevard between Fourth and Fifth streets. The former building will be replaced by an eight‑story building that includes nearly 300 apartment units and more than 19,000 square feet of ground‑floor commercial space. Development company JPI plans to build 272 rental apartments on the 68,733‑square‑foot parcel; 16 of the 272 units are affordable units.
The Jefferson Long Beach project is JPI’s first building on the parcel and is part of a larger plan called Mosaic, which envisions three eight‑story buildings with a combined 900 apartment units and 38,405 square feet of commercial space. The Mosaic development covers the parcels between Fourth Street and Sixth Street along the west side of Long Beach Boulevard.
Approved plans show 19,782 square feet of commercial space, three levels of parking with 373 vehicle parking spaces and 58 bicycle parking spaces. Residential garages are planned for the first three levels with apartments on levels three through eight. Amenities include a courtyard, pool and spa 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 and join the existing Promenade south of Fourth Street. A single‑story pavilion with 2,405 square feet of retail space will be constructed along East Fifth Street.
Book review: new project‑management title by a civil engineer
An article dated 10/01/25 written by Jaan vanValkenburgh reviewed a new project‑management book by civil engineer Robert Schraeder. The book title is Ancient Secrets to Project Management: How to Lead and Thrive in Your Professional and Personal Life. Schraeder estimates he has overseen the design and construction of about $4 billion worth of projects over his career, including complex freeways, light rail, dedicated bus lanes and a signature cable‑stayed bridge.
The book weaves project‑management advice with lifestyle chapters and includes Bible verses throughout. Schraeder documents confrontations and difficult times with partners, owners and colleagues, and he discusses change orders in detail, recommending documented conversations with stakeholders, dedicated budget allotments and project‑customized processes to manage change‑order risk. The book warns that project‑management software has limitations and that the person running software may not understand all processes it documents. Schraeder cautions against completely delegating responsibility for areas a project manager does not understand and advises PMs to do deep dives into specializations that could create delays. He also warns against excessive hovering while emphasizing continuous personal oversight and protecting teammates.
The book documents times when intense projects affected personal life and includes life‑management guidance. Schraeder recounts hosting a staff dinner on the bridge the team had recently completed and confirmed that the bridge was the Long Beach International Gateway Bridge. The book is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Context on industry challenges and technology
Many construction projects in the U.S. experience cost and budget overruns, which are widely considered endemic. A 2025 survey by solution provider Slate Technologies found that only one in five construction leaders surveyed says they can successfully address project delays, and almost half reported they do not trust cost and time estimates provided by their forecasting and budgeting tools. The construction sector has a history of slow technology adoption, though recent signals show increased interest in technology. A 2025 survey by Deloitte and Autodesk found that 37% of construction firms use machine learning and AI, an increase of 11 percentage points from the 2023 survey result.
FAQ
Q: 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?
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 the project total cost for La Playa Hall?
A: The project total cost is $126.4 million.
Q: What state funding supports La Playa Hall?
A: The project is partially funded by a $53.3 million state grant through the Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program. The state grant funding is tied to Senate Bill 183.
Q: How many beds will La Playa Hall provide and how many are reserved for the Long Beach Housing Promise?
A: When finished, the complex will provide 424 beds across three five‑story buildings connected by exterior bridges. 404 of the 424 beds will be reserved for students under the Long Beach Housing Promise program.
Q: Who was selected to provide construction management services for the Pier B On‑Dock Rail Support facility and what program does it belong to?
A: The Port of Long Beach selected Jacobs to provide construction management services for the Pier B On‑Dock Rail Support facility, part of the port’s overall $2.2 billion capital program.
Q: How much will the Pier B expansion increase rail capacity and yard acreage?
A: The Pier B project will expand the existing rail yard from 82 acres to 171 acres and will more than triple on‑dock rail capacity to handle up to 4.7 million 20‑foot containers (TEUs) annually.
Q: What is planned for the former City Place Shopping Center site?
A: Demolition began on the former City Place Shopping Center and the former building will be replaced by an eight‑story building that includes nearly 300 apartment units and more than 19,000 square feet of ground‑floor commercial space. JPI plans to build 272 rental apartments on the 68,733‑square‑foot parcel. Of the 272 units, 16 are affordable units. Jefferson Long Beach is part of a larger plan called Mosaic, which envisions three eight‑story buildings with a combined 900 apartment units and 38,405 square feet of commercial space.
Q: Who wrote the review article dated 10/01/25 and what book did it cover?
A: An article dated 10/01/25 written by Jaan vanValkenburgh reviewed a new project‑management book by civil engineer Robert Schraeder. The book title is Ancient Secrets to Project Management: How to Lead and Thrive in Your Professional and Personal Life.
Q: How much project experience does Robert Schraeder estimate he has overseen?
A: Schraeder estimates he has overseen the design and construction of about $4 billion worth of projects over his career.
Q: What are some industry survey findings cited in the coverage?
A: A 2025 survey by solution provider Slate Technologies found that only one in five construction leaders surveyed says they can successfully address project delays. In the Slate Technologies results referenced, almost half of surveyed construction leaders reported they do not trust cost and time estimates provided by their forecasting and budgeting tools. A 2025 survey by Deloitte and Autodesk found that 37% of construction firms use machine learning and AI. The same Deloitte & Autodesk survey showed that 37% in 2025 is an increase of 11 percentage points from the 2023 survey result.
Key features at a glance
| Topic | Key details |
|---|---|
| La Playa Hall | Project total cost: $126.4 million; Groundbreaking March 2024; 424 beds; 404 reserved for Long Beach Housing Promise; $53.3 million state grant tied to Senate Bill 183; Completion target mid‑ to late July ahead of fall 2026 opening. |
| Pier B On‑Dock Rail Support facility | Part of $2.2 billion capital program; Jacobs selected for construction management; rail yard expands from 82 to 171 acres; capacity up to 4.7 million TEUs annually; expected wrap in 2032; PLSCM used to streamline delivery. |
| Jefferson Long Beach / Mosaic | Demolition began at former City Place site; JPI to build 272 rental apartments on 68,733 sq ft parcel; 16 affordable units; Mosaic totals 900 units and 38,405 sq ft commercial across three buildings; 19,782 sq ft commercial in first phase; 373 vehicle parking spaces; 58 bicycle spaces. |
| Book review | Book: Ancient Secrets to Project Management: How to Lead and Thrive in Your Professional and Personal Life by Robert Schraeder; author estimates $4 billion in projects overseen; covers change orders, software limits, and life management; book available at major retailers. |
| Industry context | Surveys show widespread overruns and skepticism about forecasting tools; 2025 Slate Technologies survey: one in five leaders can successfully address project delays; Deloitte & Autodesk 2025: 37% of construction firms use machine learning and AI, up 11 percentage points since 2023. |
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 FL News
FLORIDA STAFF WRITER The FLORIDA STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at constructionflnews.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Florida and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as the Florida Build Expo, major infrastructure projects, and advancements in construction technology showcases. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Associated Builders and Contractors of Florida and the Florida Home Builders Association, plus leading businesses in construction and legal services that power the local economy such as CMiC Global and Shutts & Bowen LLP. As part of the broader network, including constructioncanews.com, constructionnynews.com, and constructiontxnews.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into the dynamic construction landscape across multiple states.
