On Thursday, December 19th the City of Long Beach celebrated the opening of Belmont Pool. The pool was installed to provide services offered by Belmont Pool Natatorium, which was permanently closed in February when it was deemed seismically and structurally unsafe. The natatorium will be replaced with a new permanent facility in the same area. The temporary pool will be in use for the next three years as the old pool plaza is demolished and a new pool complex is built. The pool’s features include: shallow water in approximately 40 percent of the pool to accommodate recreational and learn-to-swim programs; enough deep water to accommodate an all-deep competition water polo course with floating goal as well as two all-deep practice water polo courses with fixed goals; a lift and two sets of stairs with double rails for disabled access; covered bleacher seating for more than 300 people; a moveable bulkhead can adjust to swim lengths of 50 meters or 25 meters; and starter blocks for racing.