What is Lomita planning for the former Navy ballfields?

If you own a home near the former Navy ballfields or are considering buying nearby, a mention of a future park can leave a basic question: what is actually happening? As of October 28, 2026, Lomita has begun planning and conceptual design for the site, while continuing to pursue ownership. The city’s October 22 release does not announce a completed transfer, a final design or an opening date.

This is general information and not legal advice.

What property is Lomita planning for?

Lomita is planning the long-term development of the approximately six-acre former U.S. Navy ballfields property at 26800 S. Western Ave.

The site has served exclusively as the home of the Lomita Little League for decades. That existing use is part of the planning context: the city says its design consultants will work with local stakeholders, including the league, to gather input on future recreational use.

City Manager updates call the future project the Lomita Sports and Community Center. The City of Lomita’s October 22 news release also describes planning for future park space. Neither description supplies a building list or a settled layout.

For a nearby owner or buyer, the distinction matters when reading a listing or hearing about the project. A project name tells you what effort the city is discussing. It doesn’t tell you which facilities have been approved.

Has ownership already transferred to the city?

The city’s release says Lomita is pursuing transfer of the property from the U.S. Department of the Navy; it does not say that transfer is complete.

The October 2 City Manager update describes continuing negotiations with the Navy. It says the city sought consultant proposals in preparation for a potential acquisition. That wording keeps acquisition and planning separate, even though work on both is moving forward.

The later release reports that Lomita has commissioned design consultants. This establishes a planning step, not city ownership.

If ownership is central to a question about the property, ask the city for the current transfer status and the document confirming any completed transfer. Until then, describe the site using the release’s wording: a property the city is pursuing, with planning underway.

What does the planning grant cover?

The $500,000 grant supports planning and design efforts for the future park space.

The award comes from the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District through Measure A. The release identifies that amount and purpose. It does not give a total project budget or a construction cost.

The city also says grant funding and other community contributions are expected to help support future development. The amount and timing of that future support remain uncertain in the release.

Keep the grant’s stated purpose attached to its dollar amount when discussing the project. Calling it a $500,000 planning grant is precise. Treating that figure as the price of a finished sports and community center would go beyond what the city has announced.

What happens during the community planning year?

City officials and stakeholders will gather community input and explore conceptual designs over the next year, according to the October 22 release.

The consultants’ role includes working with local stakeholders to help shape future recreational use. The October 16 City Manager update says community input will be central to the process. The release adds that residents and community organizations will have opportunities to share their perspectives, with engagement details announced as they become available.

An input period is a useful time to ask concrete questions. Ask how comments will be collected, where concepts will be posted and how to follow later revisions. The release does not supply those engagement details yet.

We spoke with a family that lived close to Navy Fields and used the area regularly for youth sports. They had heard about the community-center planning and wanted to know when construction would begin. What the city was doing at that point was still planning, so we discussed the ideas being considered without treating them as finished improvements.

What remains undecided?

The release leaves the design, facilities, opening date and total budget unspecified, with future improvements dependent on planning, approvals and available funding.

It says the effort will involve multiple phases. It does not set out a phase-by-phase schedule or identify which improvements would come first. A planning announcement therefore gives you a process to follow, rather than a construction timetable.

The release also does not provide traffic, parking, lighting or noise plans, or information about environmental review. These are subjects to ask about as concepts develop. Their absence from this announcement does not establish what a later proposal will contain.

For related reading, the Learn guides on park permits and parking in Laguna Hills and La Puente’s Paws and Play Park and pet licensing concern separate local topics. Use Lomita’s own project materials for answers about this site.

How can you follow the project and ask useful questions?

Follow the city’s project information and engagement announcements, then ask which document supports any specific claim you hear.

The release directs readers to the Lomita Sports and Community Center project page. It says additional information about upcoming engagement opportunities will be shared as details become available. For a direct inquiry, City Hall is at 24300 Narbonne Ave., Lomita, CA 90717, and the listed phone number is (310) 325-7110.

Useful questions include:

• Has the ownership transfer been completed?
• Where can you review the current conceptual designs?
• Which approvals and funding remain necessary for a proposed improvement?
• When and how can you submit comments?

Keep questions about your own home separate from questions about the public project. If you are planning work on your property, the guide to Lomita’s construction debris hauling permit and deposit addresses a different local subject. The ballfields announcement does not answer questions about your property’s work.

The short version

Lomita has started planning for the former Navy ballfields, with a $500,000 planning and design grant and community input ahead.

The approximately six-acre site is still described in the October 22 release as a property the city is pursuing from the Navy. Consultants have been commissioned, but the release supplies no final design, opening date or total budget. Later improvements depend on planning, approvals and available funding.

If you own or are buying nearby, follow the project page and ask for the current documents behind any claimed facility, schedule or ownership change. The city’s announcement gives you a starting point for those questions.

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