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 campus housing, port rail expansion, downtown redevelopment and a new project‑management book
What’s new: La Playa Hall at California State University, Long Beach is on schedule for fall 2026; Jacobs was selected to provide construction management for the Pier B On‑Dock Rail Support facility as part of the port’s $2.2 billion capital program; demolition has started on the former City Place mall site to make way for the first phase of a larger Mosaic development, the Jefferson Long Beach building with 272 units; and a new project‑management book by civil engineer Robert Schraeder offers practical on‑the‑job lessons woven with life guidance.
La Playa Hall (California State University, Long Beach)
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.
Location and capacity: La Playa Hall 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.
Schedule and recent work: The plan is to turn the building over to Housing and Residential Life in July so they have time to train residential assistants and move furniture in. The goal is construction completion by mid‑ to late July to allow several weeks for housing staff to prepare before students arrive. Development milestones already cleared include underground utility and foundation work. Site make‑ready has been completed, crews were pouring parapet walls, and crews have started rough installations for piping for plumbing, electrical and mechanical systems. The next significant milestone scheduled was pouring the last of the concrete on Oct. 3. Project managers say the biggest challenges have been navigating approvals from state and local entities and getting approvals in time to keep progress moving.
Pier B On‑Dock Rail Support facility (Port of Long Beach)
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 Jacobs contract value for construction management was not disclosed. The Pier B project will expand the existing rail yard from 82 acres to 171 acres, and the expansion will more than triple on‑dock rail capacity to handle up to 4.7 million 20‑foot containers (TEUs) annually.
Goals and delivery: 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 port moved to a Program‑Level Support Construction Management approach to allow shared staffing, constructability reviews and rapid responses across multiple contracts. Weekly coordination meetings aligned upcoming activities and equipment deliveries across active projects, and a single hub for environmental compliance oversight coordinated with the Port Environmental Planning Division and regulatory agencies. Months of coordination and collaboration between program‑level support and onsite contractors reduced the overall schedule delay by six months, even amid COVID‑related delays.
Scale and results: A team of 22 professional construction‑management staff delivered more than $450 million in construction projects during Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the program. The port handles more than 9 million 20‑foot container units each year and moves cargo valued at $200 billion annually.
Downtown Long Beach — City Place demolition and Mosaic development
Demolition began on the former City Place Shopping Center on Long Beach Boulevard between Fourth and Fifth streets. The former shopping center contained a since‑closed Fresh & Easy grocery store, Jewelry Girl and Fashion Island. 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.
Jefferson Long Beach and Mosaic: Development company JPI plans to build 272 rental apartments on the 68,733‑square‑foot parcel. Of the 272 units, 16 are affordable units. The Jefferson Long Beach project 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 parcels between Fourth Street and Sixth Street along the west side of Long Beach Boulevard.
Design features and parking: The Jefferson Long Beach plan includes 19,782 square feet of commercial space and 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. A courtyard with a pool and spa area is planned on level four, and the eighth floor will feature a rooftop deck. A new pedestrian walkway will connect Fifth Street and Sixth Street west of Long Beach Boulevard and will 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 in front of the former entrance to Walmart. Demolition had not yet begun on the building that borders East Sixth Street and Long Beach Boulevard, which formerly contained a Walmart that closed in 2016; that parcel will eventually be split between the two additional eight‑story buildings.
Book review: “Ancient Secrets to Project Management: How to Lead and Thrive in Your Professional and Personal Life”
An in‑depth review and feature on civil engineer Robert Schraeder highlights a new book titled 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. The types of projects Schraeder has overseen include complex freeways, light rail, dedicated bus lanes and a signature cable‑stayed bridge, which he confirms was the Long Beach International Gateway Bridge.
Key lessons and cautions: The book includes project‑management advice interwoven with lifestyle chapters and weaves Bible verses throughout. Schraeder includes documented examples of confrontations and difficult times with partners, owners and colleagues. He discusses change orders in detail and recommends 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 warns 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 cautions against excessive hovering while also emphasizing continuous personal oversight and protecting teammates. Schraeder documents times when intense projects affected his personal life, including a hospital stay, and includes life‑management guidance as part of the book.
The review was written by Jaan vanValkenburgh and dated 10/01/25. The article is a review/feature that discusses civil engineer Robert Schraeder’s newly published book, Ancient Secrets to Project Management: How to Lead and Thrive in Your Professional and Personal Life. The reviewer places Schraeder’s book among top reference books and calls it a keeper for both project and life advice. Ancient Secrets to Project Management is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Jaan vanValkenburgh can be reached at [email protected].
Sector context and technology trends
Many construction projects in the U.S. experience cost and budget overruns, and overruns 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. 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. The construction sector has a history of slow technology adoption, but the sector is seeing increased interest in technology. In August (context implies August 2025) the Associated General Contractors of America launched its first technology‑focused conference. 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. Project management software plays a supporting role in Schraeder’s book and comes with caveats.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will La Playa Hall open for students?
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.
How much is the La Playa Hall project and what funding supported it?
The project total cost is $126.4 million. 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.
How many beds will La Playa Hall provide and how many are reserved under the Long Beach Housing Promise?
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.
Who was selected to provide construction management for the Pier B On‑Dock Rail Support facility and what is the program value?
The Port of Long Beach selected Jacobs to provide construction management services for the Pier B On‑Dock Rail Support facility. The selection/award is part of the port’s overall $2.2 billion capital program.
What rail yard expansion and capacity changes will Pier B deliver?
The Pier B project will expand the existing rail yard from 82 acres to 171 acres. The expansion will more than triple on‑dock rail capacity to handle up to 4.7 million 20‑foot containers (TEUs) annually.
What is planned for the former City Place site?
JPI plans to build 272 rental apartments on the 68,733‑square‑foot parcel. Of the 272 units, 16 are affordable units. The Jefferson Long Beach project is the name for JPI’s first building on the parcel. 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.
What is the title of Robert Schraeder’s new book and who reviewed it?
The book title is Ancient Secrets to Project Management: How to Lead and Thrive in Your Professional and Personal Life. The review was written by Jaan vanValkenburgh and dated 10/01/25. Jaan vanValkenburgh can be reached at [email protected].
Where is Robert Schraeder’s book available?
Ancient Secrets to Project Management is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
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Key features at a glance
| Project or Topic | Key facts | Timeline / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| La Playa Hall | $126.4 million; $53.3 million state grant tied to Senate Bill 183; 424 beds; 404 reserved under Long Beach Housing Promise | Groundbreaking March 2024; turnover to Housing and Residential Life in July; opening fall 2026; last concrete pour Oct. 3 |
| Pier B On‑Dock Rail Support facility | Part of $2.2 billion capital program; expands rail yard from 82 to 171 acres; capacity up to 4.7 million TEUs | Jacobs selected for construction management; expected wrap up 2032; program‑level approach reduced schedule delay by six months |
| Jefferson Long Beach (Mosaic) | 272 rental apartments on 68,733‑sf parcel; 16 affordable units; larger Mosaic plan: 900 units, 38,405 sf commercial | Demolition begun on City Place site between Fourth and Fifth; additional parcels and buildings to be developed later |
| Robert Schraeder book | Title: Ancient Secrets to Project Management: How to Lead and Thrive in Your Professional and Personal Life; author is a civil engineer; projects overseen ≈ $4 billion | Review dated 10/01/25 by Jaan vanValkenburgh; book available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble |
| Industry context | 2025 Slate Technologies survey: one in five leaders can successfully address project delays; Deloitte & Autodesk 2025: 37% use ML/AI (up 11 percentage points since 2023) | Technology adoption rising; sector still contends with cost and schedule overruns |
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 TX News
TEXAS STAFF WRITER The TEXAS STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at constructiontxnews.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Texas 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 Texas Construction Expo, major infrastructure unveilings, and advancements in construction technology showcases. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Associated General Contractors of Texas and the Texas Building Branch, plus leading businesses in construction and real estate that power the local economy such as Austin Commercial and CMiC Global. As part of the broader network, including constructioncanews.com, constructionnynews.com, and constructionflnews.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into the dynamic construction landscape across multiple states.
