Rebuffed at Beach, Volleyball Group Plans to Build Stadium

Move over, sports arena. Step aside, football stadium.

The Assn. of Volleyball Professionals, stung by court rulings forbidding it to charge for tickets at the beach, said Wednesday that it plans to build a permanent volleyball stadium somewhere in Los Angeles, joining other professional sports organizations that are lining up to construct new venues to house their competitions.

The announcement came after a prolonged dispute with the California Coastal Commission left the association unable to charge for tickets at its two major California tournaments, held every summer in Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach.

The association has hired a West Los Angeles real estate firm to scout the Los Angeles area for a stadium site.

“I hope that people recognize that irrespective of building a stadium, we are still going to do everything within our power to remain on the beaches of Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach,” said Lon Monk, the association’s chief operating officer. “But if we can’t, it will make the stadium a bigger deal.”

The association has been waging a prolonged legal battle with the Coastal Commission since some residents objected to the beach being closed off and tickets sold for the Manhattan Beach Open, which last year sold only 25% of its tickets.

The commission unanimously ruled in May to ban charges for seating at any event held on a public beach between Memorial Day and Labor Day. While continuing its legal battle, the association moved the Manhattan Beach Open to Hermosa Beach. No tickets were sold for the June 13-15 event.

But the association challenged the commission’s decision, going to court July 10, when a Los Angeles Superior Court judge blocked the association from charging for tickets to the upcoming Hermosa Beach Open, to be held July 25-27.

The volleyball organization will be in court again Aug. 5 to challenge the grounds on which the Coastal Commission’s ruling was made. But the court hearing will be too late for the Hermosa Beach event, for which 1,900 tickets have ben sold. The association will be issuing refunds to ticket-holders. So far, the organization has lost about $200,000 by not charging admission for the two volleyball competitions.

“We will pursue other options to stay on the beach and charge admission, maybe by lobbying,” Monk said. “Obviously to date we have been surprised and so far unsuccessful in changing anyone’s mind.”

The association gave no details of what kind of stadium it would build, where it would be or how it would be financed. It would be used for amateur and professional tournaments, exhibitions and clinics.

The professional volleyball tournaments draw thousands of people every year.