San Pedro's long-closed Cabrillo Beach Youth Aquatic Center is getting a $10 million infusion meant to bring it back to life before the world arrives for the 2028 Olympics. Local officials announced the funding on Monday, pairing a $5 million state allocation with a matching $5 million commitment from the Port of Los Angeles.
California Assemblymember Mike Gipson announced the state's $5 million share, while the Port of Los Angeles committed the matching $5 million, according to the Long Beach Press-Telegram. Officials say the combined $10 million will allow the aquatic center at Cabrillo Beach to reopen in time for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which are scheduled for 2028.
A Facility With Deep Roots in San Pedro
The site has long been a cornerstone for area youth. Greater Los Angeles Scouting says the Cabrillo Beach Youth Center served more than 17,000 young people and partnered with over 35 schools, churches, youth groups and government agencies over the years. Its footprint is substantial too — the same organization notes the property spans 12.3 acres with waterfront access, an Olympic-size swimming pool, campgrounds, a boathouse and a 25,000-square-foot Spielberg Center.
That legacy came to an abrupt pause when Scouting America's Greater Los Angeles Area Council vacated the center in December 2025, a move the report notes left organizations including Boys and Girls Club of America, the Los Angeles Unified School District and local swim teams without a facility they had relied on for years, per the Long Beach Current's account.
Olympic Sailing Plans Collide With Deferred Maintenance
The push to repurpose Cabrillo Beach didn't start with this week's funding announcement. Back in December 2025, the Port said the site could become a training center for national and international sailing teams ahead of the 2028 Games, according to LAist. That same report described a planned $5 million Port investment through its Public Access Investment Plan for repairs and improvements — though it's not established whether that earlier-described investment is separate from or overlapping with the $5 million match reported this week.
By spring, the vision had sharpened further. The Daily Breeze reported in April that the Port foresees the site eventually becoming a “high-performance sailing center and community aquatic and education center,” with the Olympic sailing training facility itself in place from May through the conclusion of the Games. That same report flagged a practical hurdle: the facilities on site are suffering from various deferred maintenance issues, meaning reopening them for broader community use would require significant investment.
What Officials Say the Money Will Do
Beyond getting the doors open for the Olympics, officials say the rehabilitation is meant to create a community asset for use once the Games have ended, along with workforce development training opportunities for employees in Los Angeles. The announcement drew in a cast of local leaders, including 15th District Los Angeles Councilmember Tim McOsker and Los Angeles Harbor Commission Vice President Yolanda De La Torre, alongside Pete Settelmayer, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor. Officials also thanked Mayor Karen Bass for the city's contribution to the project.
