The $32.5M Colorado Lagoon project—set to bring a new tidal flow channel between Colorado Lagoon and Marine Stadium that hasn’t been seen since the 1960s—has faced many setbacks: Asbestos has been discovered. It’s faced weather shifts. And change orders. And allegations from workers over unethical work requests. In other words, it has been perpetually setbacks since its announcement in late 2021. And yes, that includes the setback of some road reopening, which the City had hoped to achieve by late 2024, but it has now been pushed to early 2025.
“Over the course of the Colorado Lagoon project, there have been asbestos-containing construction materials—mainly [asbestos-cement] piping—that have required abatement and change orders to address,” said Charlene Angsuco, Project Management Officer for Public Works. “Change orders are effectively delays because they are unforeseen. It was common during that era of construction to use asbestos-containing materials because of insulation, strength, and durability. That was the standard prior to the Environmental Protection Agency banning it. Unfortunately, there were several of these types of utilities that were underground and unmapped, which weren’t discovered until work in those areas were.”
Colorado Lagoon asbestos: What are the concerns, if any?
According to the City, first and foremost, there was and has been no presenting danger to the surrounding households or visitors to the site. Asbestos-containing materials, or ACMs, were already documented in a pre-construction survey. (This was for the restroom building demolished off of Eliot Street toward the northern end of Marina Stadium. And abatement was handled.) However, additional ACMs were encountered in abandoned, unmapped underground utility pipes in the Los Cerritos Wetlands.
The City insists that the asbestos discovered does not pose a health risk. And this is because it has been handled in accordance with regulatory requirements. Meanwhile, air monitoring and observation of abatement work “confirm that abatement procedures were adhered to, asbestos was not released into the environment and does not present an exposure risk.
“The asbestos abatement has been done by a contractor licensed to handle such materials,” Angsuco said. “We don’t have any evidence of any other contamination to be present that hasn’t already been remediated… A publication alleges creosote or crude oil were found, and we have not observed those on site. There may have been creosote-treated timber that was buried as part of the historic fill activities. But to our knowledge, no pockets of crude oil have been found this shallow. And we have not observed creosote oil that was historically dumped in the areas.”
The City has spent approximately $600,000 on asbestos abatement and $166,000 on consultant services for monitoring, sampling, and reporting.
What about worker allegations that they were told to hide the Colorado Lagoon asbestos discovery?
The City cannot comment on specific worker allegations made to other agencies or the contractor, Angsuco said. However, “all asbestos abatement work at the site has been performed by a licensed abatement contractor and monitored by a certified asbestos consultant. These allegations also caused some delays. This is in addition to significant weather delays earlier in the project, delays associated with change orders, and additional coordination required with utility service providers as we move, relocate, install temporary systems, et cetera.”
Besides the Colorado Lagoon asbestos issue, what about street openings?
Roads surrounding the area are now set to reopen in early 2025.
The news comes warmly welcomed, especially for those within the neighborhood or those who use their surrounding streets for commuting. With the closure of Colorado Street and Appian Way where they meet Marina Vista Park and the stadium, commuters have been unable to access the 22 via Loynes Drive nor has returning traffic from the 22 on Studebaker Road been able to use Loynes (and then Colorado Street) to access Belmont Heights. Drivers and bicyclists are now diverted north on Park Avenue to 7th Street or 6th Street to access certain areas.
What exactly is happening at Colorado Lagoon and the northern tip of Marina Stadium?
The main point of the project is complicated in terms of construction. But relatively simple in concept: Return the Colorado Lagoon back to its former glory by reconnecting it more fluidly to the Marine Stadium via a new tidal channel that will run through Marina Vista Park.
Excavation of Marina Vista Park for the new channel has begun. It gives people a very rough preview of what the channel will look like upon completion, stretching from the south side of the Colorado Lagoon to the northern tip of Marina Stadium.
Sheet pile installation began in late 2022. They’re being used to block water flow and allow the demolition of existing infrastructure to make way for new bridges. One will run over the new tidal channel along Colorado Street and another over the channel where it meets Marine Stadium on Eliot Street.
What will the Colorado Lagoon and Marina Park look like upon completion?
When first reporting on the project in 2021, the city was out to bid on a contractor before one was chosen in November of 2022, its cost increasing from $26.3M to $32.5M—and when complete, will return the water channels into something almost identical to what previously existed before overdevelopment of the space led to an eradication of its environment.
The tidal channel project is the last major phase of what has been a two-decade overhaul of the area: In 2001, the Friends of Colorado Lagoon coalesced to address the massive pollution within its water and decay surrounding the lagoon itself after multiple development projects, beginning in the 1960s, restricted its flow to Marine Stadium.
