City of Long Beach Celebrates New Junior Lifeguard Headquarters Facility
Last week, the City of Long Beach celebrated the official opening of the new Junior Lifeguard Facility, designed by COAR Design Group.
The Long Beach Junior Lifeguard Program is a summer program offered to the youth of the Long Beach community, providing instruction in lifeguard rescue techniques, first aid, ocean sports, physical conditioning, and marine ecology. The program gives kids aged nine to seventeen the experience they need for future careers as lifeguards or in various public service professions.
The Junior Lifeguard Program has been a staple in the Long Beach community for generations, beginning in 1971 with 63 participants and now serving nearly a thousand participants annually. COAR was excited to contribute to the program’s growth and longevity in the community through the new headquarters facility.
The new 960-square-foot modular facility replaced the previously undersized and aging headquarters for the Junior Lifeguard Program. The new building consists of a training room, shower room, locker rooms, storage area, staff office, and instruction balcony. As the building is located on the beach, careful consideration was given to utilizing materials that will endure the marine environment and provide longevity to the facility, which is akin to traditional framing construction versus the normal lifespan of a modular structure. Fiber reinforced windows continuously span across the front façade providing lifeguards unobstructed views out to the exterior. A second level deck was designed to offer elevated sightlines and also act as a platform for providing instruction to the junior guards.
“The new Long Beach Junior Lifeguard building is a facility that will serve the program and the community for many years to come,” said COAR Project Manager, Alex Stolyar. “The existing building lacked many amenities needed for the growing lifeguard program. The excitement seen from the lifeguards, City of Long Beach and the community at the ribbon cutting ceremony expressed the need for this type of facility and all those that will be positively impacted in the future.”
The completion of this facility was the perfect way to kick off the Summer 2023 Program, and will last for more generations to come! Learn more about the project here.