[CityKid]

We have slightly more news regarding the development of the southeast corner of 2nd St and PCH from LA Curbed (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2009/11/secondpch_aims_to_make_a_seaside_village_out_of_southeastern_long_beach.php) (renderings in the link):

The developers of second+pch have big dreams for the 11 acre space on the southeast corner of Second Street and the Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach, currently home to the rundown SeaPort Marina Hotel. RCLCo and Ratkovich Properties want to create an eastern gateway to Long Beach, a "Seaside Village" that is "uniquely Long Beach," and inspired by Mediterranean towns with cobblestone streets and open-air cafes. Their current plans are for a 100 room boutique hotel; 95 hotel-branded condos; 235 residential lofts, condos, and/or townhouses; 192,000 square feet of retail; 20,000 square feet of dining space; a Coastal Science Center affiliated with CSU Long Beach's College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics; a 99 seat theater that will be the home of CSULB's Cal Rep; and a cycling and tri-athlete center. The architects are Long Beach-based Studio 111 and LA-based Rios Clementi Hale Studios, and Joie de Vivre Hotels will partner on the hotel.

The plans include one 12 story tower (it will hold residences), which has been moved from an earlier placement on the intersection to the south side of the development on the PCH. The rest of the buildings are two to six stories. The District Weekly reported in July that those heights and the residences will require the city to exempt the project from the Southeast Area Development Improvement Plan. The Coastal Commission will also have to approve the plan.

David Malmuth, Managing Director at RCLCo and lead developer on the project, tells Curbed they hope to have a draft environmental impact report circulating by the beginning of the year and Planning Commission approval by April or May. They'll hold a meeting next week to present the latest plan and gather comments for the site plan review and EIR. Malmuth says community feedback has been important to the process (it's responsible for the tower movement), and that the team has had more than 75 meetings with locals over the past year and a half. Traffic has been the biggest concern, and he's frank that "a project this size is going to have impact." He says their study found they'll be able to mitigate impact at most or all intersections, although the city will also need to do its own analysis.

[CityKid]

This just confirms what we were all thinking. I just stumbled upon this by accident at www.presstelegram.com:

Mural planned for outside of former Press-Telegram building
By Karen Robes Meeks, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/03/2009 07:03:21 PM PST

LONG BEACH - A mural may soon dress up the walls of the downtown building that once housed the Press-Telegram.

John and Michelle Molina, whose family runs Molina Healthcare and have been involved in the building project since 2004, have hired Dreams & Visions to help create a mural that would beautify the lot that includes the daily newspaper's former headquarters and the Meeker-Baker building at Sixth Street and Pine Avenue.

At a meeting Monday night with 1st District Councilman Robert Garcia, the couple introduced residents to the Dreams & Visions artists, who have been involved in creating several Long Beach murals - including the one at Ocean Boulevard and Pine Avenue and Wyland's Earth mural atop the Long Beach Arena.

The idea - spearheaded by Michelle Molina, who also heads PeaceBuilders as its CEO - is to fill the 36 or so wooden panels on the buildings with various positive images of the 1st District. The images, which would wrap around the block, would be tied together with messages of peace and peace-building.

Residents said they were pleased to see improvement plans for the site, which at times has been a target for graffiti. Some suggested to the Molinas that local artists be involved in the mural project. Garcia also said the former Blue Star restaurant that had been on the lot has been demolished and that new fencing will be up.

"I'm definitely in support of beautifying the property with a mural or some type of art," said Cynthia Ojeda, president of the North Pine Neighborhood Alliance. "We're really happy the Molina family is coming in and bringing this project instead of letting that property sit like that."

John Molina said he hopes to start on the mural in the coming weeks.

As for the building project itself, the Molinas said they have had to re-evaluate the project following the recession.

Sold in 2006, the paper's longtime home at 604 Pine was slated for a mixed-use condominium development. The original design featured two high-rise towers with up to 542 units above 37,000 square feet of commercial and office space and 1,186 parking spaces. The Planning Commission later approved a new design with one fewer tower, smaller units and reduced the size of the commercial space to 30,000 square feet and the number of parking spaces to 947.

Then, the recession hit and that project, at the time, could not be financed, John Molina said.

"So what we're looking at is, what can we put on the site that is financeable and adds to the community," he said, adding that there will be more community outreach once those plans come together.

"But in the meantime," he said, "the last thing that Pine Avenue needs is another, what I call, dead site. You see it up and down the street. An entire block that is deactivated and run down is not something residents and homeowners want to see. So we talked about what can we do on a short-term basis to engage the community."

[CityKid]

It looks like Suja finally got her feasibility study done. This is all from www.presstelegram.com:

Desire for streetcars gets a look in Long Beach
By Paul Eakins, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/21/2009 07:59:32 PM PST


LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Second District City Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal envisions a downtown crowded not with cars, but people - pedestrians who arrive by bicycle, bus and, perhaps, even streetcars.

Electric-powered streetcars such as those used in San Francisco and Portland - connecting Long Beach's neighborhoods, fostering pedestrian movement and spurring development - are an integral part of Lowenthal's vision.

Last week, the council heard a report on a feasibility study that had been commissioned in 2007 about installing streetcars in Long Beach, and other city officials seem to be warming up to the idea.

"We are at a fantastic time in our city when more and more people want to leave their cars behind," Lowenthal said last week. "People are looking for ways to exercise their right to different modes of transportation."

However, skeptics, including the head of Long Beach Transit and representatives of downtown residents and businesses, question the viability of such a massive public transit undertaking. The biggest obstacle would be the massive cost of the proposed project - more than $900 million of investment if all of the potential routes outlined in the study were to be implemented.

City officials say the funding would come from federal grants and wouldn't touch the Long Beach's depleted general fund or other city budgets.

"This project, wonderful though it is as a vision, is talking about spending a lot of money right now when that money could be used for other purposes," said Larry Jackson, president and CEO of Long Beach Transit. "My concern is that there's only so much money that comes to the region, and if this project becomes a political priority, is it going to jeopardize the other projects that we have?"

Streetcar study

The idea of bringing streetcars to Long Beach began with a trip by Lowenthal to Portland, where she was inspired by the many modes of public transportation used there, including a flourishing streetcar system. The council approved hiring an outside consultant a "limited" feasibility study, which ended up costing $69,000.

The study lists a dozen possible streetcar routes and extensions, some as simple as a downtown loop or connecting downtown to the Queen Mary, and others moving all of the way from the Westside, Naples, Cal State Long Beach and the north end of Atlantic Avenue to downtown.

In the proposal, all routes lead to downtown, which would be the hub of Long Beach's streetcar system.

Proponents say the benefits of streetcars are that they provide a sense of certainty for businesses that open along their routes and for residents and visitors who use them. They are also simple to use because they essentially link two destinations, such as downtown to Belmont Shore or to Bixby Knolls.

"If you see a track, you know where it's going," said Sumire Gant, the city's transportation officer.

She said streetcars encourage people to walk more and often are used to travel short distances, rather than the longer distances of buses. For example, a visitor to the Convention Center might hop on a streetcar to head a few blocks up Pine Avenue for dinner. Or, tourists staying downtown would have an easy way to get to other shopping and restaurant areas - again, such as Bixby Knolls and Belmont Shore - that they otherwise might not know how to reach.

Streetcars typically carry 95 to 110 passengers, seated and standing, and travel at 15 to 20 mph, according to the study. The cost of installing rails and electric cables to power the vehicles is between $18 million and $25 million per mile, the study says.

If the council chose to move forward with the project and had the funding for it, a more thorough feasibility project could be completed next year for $550,000, then an engineering and environmental study would be done in 2011 and 2012 for $1.6 million, and finally the first legs of the system could be installed over two years, according to a timeline in the report.

For now, Gant said she plans to ask for proposals from companies that might be interested in installing Long Beach's streetcars, then go back to the council to see if it is ready to take the next step.

A real need?

But how much does Long Beach need streetcars?

Neysa Colizzi, president of the Downtown Residential Council, which represents six downtown neighborhood associations, said that streetcars won't do much good if there aren't people to use them.

"It seems that the idea of street cars that are more like people-movers - jump on, jump off - it seems a little premature," Colizzi said. "It seems like we should be getting more people downtown to move."

Kraig Kojian, president and CEO of downtown Long Beach, said he wasn't certain that streetcars are what downtown or the city need. He said Long Beach Transit's buses are popular and serve the city's transportation needs, although he would like to see a stronger transportation corridor connection from east to west.

"I think moving people in from neighboring cities, from neighboring communities into downtown is always a good thing," Kojian said.

Some aspects of the streetcar proposal seem similar to what the buses already offer now, such as a free ride zone in the city center. Transit's Passport buses already connect Belmont Shore to downtown, offering free rides west of Alamitos Avenue.

Paying the fare

Between free service in some areas and the ongoing cost of running the streetcars, the general consensus among experts is that the streetcar system wouldn't be self-sustaining. The operating costs could be several million dollars per year, depending on how extensive the system would be.

In Portland, about one-third of the streetcar costs are borne by city parking meter revenues and other fees, according to Kay Dannen, community relations manager for Portland Streetcar Inc.

Still, Portland has also sparked hope for funding streetcars in Long Beach and other cities across the country - West Sacramento, for example, is moving toward installing a streetcar system - after it received a $75 million federal grant to install a new leg of its streetcar lines. The city, however, had to match the grant, but it's a change from when Portland began installing the system in the 1990 s solely with city and state money.

Dannen said that the Obama administration has begun opening up dollars for innovative public transportation projects such as streetcars.

That is how Gant says Long Beach can and must fund its streetcar system. In a city that can barely afford to fill its potholes and a state with a ballooning budget deficit, the feds may be the only option.

"When I said we'd go for federal dollars, I fully expect that we would get them," Gant said.

On the other hand, Jackson questioned using any transportation money for a new and unproven transit project, when Long Beach Transit has had to hike its fares this year and will do so again in February and needs funding to improve its service. He said that Long Beach has other priorities as well, such as a proposed transportation project on the Long Beach (710) Freeway to alleviate congestion caused by Port of Long Beach traffic.

Furthermore, Jackson said that Long Beach would be competing with not only other cities around the country, but also potentially those right here in Los Angeles County, for transportation funds.

"I don't think it will be built in my lifetime, if we're going to go the route of competing with other cities across the nation for federal funds," Jackson said.

At the operational level, Lowenthal suggested those costs could be funded through fees charged to the businesses that are expected to spring up along the streetcar routes.

Breathing new life into underdeveloped corridors may be the true goal of a streetcar system, and it's certainly worked in Portland.

"Streetcar is really viewed as an economic development tool more thana transit tool," Dannen said.

Would development follow?Dannen said that as streetcar lines have spread out from the city center, the transit corridors have prospered with new businesses and development.

According to Long Beach's study, Portland has had $2.8 billion in development investment in the streetcar project areas since 2001. Tampa, Fla., has had $1.1 billion of investment since it installed streetcars in 2003, and other cities have had similar results.

However, skeptics in Long Beach point to the Metro Blue Line running down Long Beach Boulevard and through downtown as proof that rail lines don't always lead to development. Lowenthal admits the Blue Line corridor isn't what it should be, but she said that was a matter of planning more than anything else.

"The leadership of the city at the time treated the blue line as a liability rather than an asset," Lowenthal said.

Still, Jackson was firm in his opposition, simply because of the logistics and funding, though he said he supports all forms of public transportation, even streetcars.

"I'm not against this project," Jackson said. "I'm just the one that has to implement it."

One thing Jackson and Lowenthal agreed on is that making streetcars work in Long Beach relies on changing the city's transportation culture and lifestyle. "When it's available, I think residents of Long Beach will leave their cars behind," Lowenthal said.

paul.eakins@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1278

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site204/2009/1121/20091121_090135_PN22-TRANSITMAP.jpg


I would love to see this happen in my lifetime. Imagine a Long Beach without a breakwater and with a streetcar network. How different would things be? I know, I'm a dreamer. . .

[Bootstrap Bill]

It looks like Suja finally got her feasibility study done. This is all from www.presstelegram.com:

Desire for streetcars gets a look in Long Beach
By Paul Eakins, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/21/2009 07:59:32 PM PST


LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Second District City Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal envisions a downtown crowded not with cars, but people - pedestrians who arrive by bicycle, bus and, perhaps, even streetcars.

Electric-powered streetcars such as those used in San Francisco and Portland - connecting Long Beach's neighborhoods, fostering pedestrian movement and spurring development - are an integral part of Lowenthal's vision.

Last week, the council heard a report on a feasibility study that had been commissioned in 2007 about installing streetcars in Long Beach, and other city officials seem to be warming up to the idea.

"We are at a fantastic time in our city when more and more people want to leave their cars behind," Lowenthal said last week. "People are looking for ways to exercise their right to different modes of transportation."

However, skeptics, including the head of Long Beach Transit and representatives of downtown residents and businesses, question the viability of such a massive public transit undertaking. The biggest obstacle would be the massive cost of the proposed project - more than $900 million of investment if all of the potential routes outlined in the study were to be implemented.

City officials say the funding would come from federal grants and wouldn't touch the Long Beach's depleted general fund or other city budgets.

"This project, wonderful though it is as a vision, is talking about spending a lot of money right now when that money could be used for other purposes," said Larry Jackson, president and CEO of Long Beach Transit. "My concern is that there's only so much money that comes to the region, and if this project becomes a political priority, is it going to jeopardize the other projects that we have?"

Streetcar study

The idea of bringing streetcars to Long Beach began with a trip by Lowenthal to Portland, where she was inspired by the many modes of public transportation used there, including a flourishing streetcar system. The council approved hiring an outside consultant a "limited" feasibility study, which ended up costing $69,000.

The study lists a dozen possible streetcar routes and extensions, some as simple as a downtown loop or connecting downtown to the Queen Mary, and others moving all of the way from the Westside, Naples, Cal State Long Beach and the north end of Atlantic Avenue to downtown.

In the proposal, all routes lead to downtown, which would be the hub of Long Beach's streetcar system.

Proponents say the benefits of streetcars are that they provide a sense of certainty for businesses that open along their routes and for residents and visitors who use them. They are also simple to use because they essentially link two destinations, such as downtown to Belmont Shore or to Bixby Knolls.

"If you see a track, you know where it's going," said Sumire Gant, the city's transportation officer.

She said streetcars encourage people to walk more and often are used to travel short distances, rather than the longer distances of buses. For example, a visitor to the Convention Center might hop on a streetcar to head a few blocks up Pine Avenue for dinner. Or, tourists staying downtown would have an easy way to get to other shopping and restaurant areas - again, such as Bixby Knolls and Belmont Shore - that they otherwise might not know how to reach.

Streetcars typically carry 95 to 110 passengers, seated and standing, and travel at 15 to 20 mph, according to the study. The cost of installing rails and electric cables to power the vehicles is between $18 million and $25 million per mile, the study says.

If the council chose to move forward with the project and had the funding for it, a more thorough feasibility project could be completed next year for $550,000, then an engineering and environmental study would be done in 2011 and 2012 for $1.6 million, and finally the first legs of the system could be installed over two years, according to a timeline in the report.

For now, Gant said she plans to ask for proposals from companies that might be interested in installing Long Beach's streetcars, then go back to the council to see if it is ready to take the next step.

A real need?

But how much does Long Beach need streetcars?

Neysa Colizzi, president of the Downtown Residential Council, which represents six downtown neighborhood associations, said that streetcars won't do much good if there aren't people to use them.

"It seems that the idea of street cars that are more like people-movers - jump on, jump off - it seems a little premature," Colizzi said. "It seems like we should be getting more people downtown to move."

Kraig Kojian, president and CEO of downtown Long Beach, said he wasn't certain that streetcars are what downtown or the city need. He said Long Beach Transit's buses are popular and serve the city's transportation needs, although he would like to see a stronger transportation corridor connection from east to west.

"I think moving people in from neighboring cities, from neighboring communities into downtown is always a good thing," Kojian said.

Some aspects of the streetcar proposal seem similar to what the buses already offer now, such as a free ride zone in the city center. Transit's Passport buses already connect Belmont Shore to downtown, offering free rides west of Alamitos Avenue.

Paying the fare

Between free service in some areas and the ongoing cost of running the streetcars, the general consensus among experts is that the streetcar system wouldn't be self-sustaining. The operating costs could be several million dollars per year, depending on how extensive the system would be.

In Portland, about one-third of the streetcar costs are borne by city parking meter revenues and other fees, according to Kay Dannen, community relations manager for Portland Streetcar Inc.

Still, Portland has also sparked hope for funding streetcars in Long Beach and other cities across the country - West Sacramento, for example, is moving toward installing a streetcar system - after it received a $75 million federal grant to install a new leg of its streetcar lines. The city, however, had to match the grant, but it's a change from when Portland began installing the system in the 1990 s solely with city and state money.

Dannen said that the Obama administration has begun opening up dollars for innovative public transportation projects such as streetcars.

That is how Gant says Long Beach can and must fund its streetcar system. In a city that can barely afford to fill its potholes and a state with a ballooning budget deficit, the feds may be the only option.

"When I said we'd go for federal dollars, I fully expect that we would get them," Gant said.

On the other hand, Jackson questioned using any transportation money for a new and unproven transit project, when Long Beach Transit has had to hike its fares this year and will do so again in February and needs funding to improve its service. He said that Long Beach has other priorities as well, such as a proposed transportation project on the Long Beach (710) Freeway to alleviate congestion caused by Port of Long Beach traffic.

Furthermore, Jackson said that Long Beach would be competing with not only other cities around the country, but also potentially those right here in Los Angeles County, for transportation funds.

"I don't think it will be built in my lifetime, if we're going to go the route of competing with other cities across the nation for federal funds," Jackson said.

At the operational level, Lowenthal suggested those costs could be funded through fees charged to the businesses that are expected to spring up along the streetcar routes.

Breathing new life into underdeveloped corridors may be the true goal of a streetcar system, and it's certainly worked in Portland.

"Streetcar is really viewed as an economic development tool more thana transit tool," Dannen said.

Would development follow?Dannen said that as streetcar lines have spread out from the city center, the transit corridors have prospered with new businesses and development.

According to Long Beach's study, Portland has had $2.8 billion in development investment in the streetcar project areas since 2001. Tampa, Fla., has had $1.1 billion of investment since it installed streetcars in 2003, and other cities have had similar results.

However, skeptics in Long Beach point to the Metro Blue Line running down Long Beach Boulevard and through downtown as proof that rail lines don't always lead to development. Lowenthal admits the Blue Line corridor isn't what it should be, but she said that was a matter of planning more than anything else.

"The leadership of the city at the time treated the blue line as a liability rather than an asset," Lowenthal said.

Still, Jackson was firm in his opposition, simply because of the logistics and funding, though he said he supports all forms of public transportation, even streetcars.

"I'm not against this project," Jackson said. "I'm just the one that has to implement it."

One thing Jackson and Lowenthal agreed on is that making streetcars work in Long Beach relies on changing the city's transportation culture and lifestyle. "When it's available, I think residents of Long Beach will leave their cars behind," Lowenthal said.

paul.eakins@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1278

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site204/2009/1121/20091121_090135_PN22-TRANSITMAP.jpg


I would love to see this happen in my lifetime. Imagine a Long Beach without a breakwater and with a streetcar network. How different would things be? I know, I'm a dreamer. . .

Amazing!

But why must this be a city project? Streetcar lines can be installed for as little as $2 million per mile (Kenosha, WI). That's cheap enough for private companies to get back into the streetcar business.

I'd love to see a privately owned network of streetcars covering much of Southern California. We had one before, I don't see any reason wy we can't do it again.

[Bootstrap Bill]

Does anyone have a link to a high resolution copy of the map in the previous post?

[202_Cyclist]

Amazing!

But why must this be a city project? Streetcar lines can be installed for as little as $2 million per mile (Kenosha, WI). That's cheap enough for private companies to get back into the streetcar business.

I'd love to see a privately owned network of streetcars covering much of Southern California. We had one before, I don't see any reason wy we can't do it again.

This looks like a very good system for Long Beach but I don't know where you get the cost of $2M per mile from. If that was the cost to build the Kenosha system, it might be because land is very cheap there, the cost of labor is less than other metro areas, and the limited size of the system.

Most streetcar systems cost between $20M - $40M per mile to build (http://lda.ucdavis.edu/LDA191/Course%20Handouts%20&%20Readings/08-ULI_Streetcars.pdf -- pg 3). The 37-mile streetcar route proposed here for DC is expected to cost $1.5B, or $40.5 million per mile.

[dragonsky]

Edit

[Landonclaytor]

Hey im back!!
I was wondering how's the lyon westgateway project coming along if anyone can take some pics that would be great. Does anyone know whats going on at oceanaire???? Can someone takes some pics of any of the projects that are happening right now or at least tell me of some
THANKS

[Truth789]

I was just at the Promenade Area Resident's Association meeting tonight and Kris Larson (VP of DLBA) talked about Retail Visioning and Downtown.

I was impressed by him. He talked reality....Each section of Downtown is separate ie: East Village, Pine Avenue, Cityplace....and he talked about what we want in each of these areas holding everyone responsible...

It was very interesting....

[LAMetroGuy]

^Did he mention anything in specfici related to potential retail coming to downtown?

[Landonclaytor]

Hey isnt the long beach courthouse plans due today!!!1 when can the public veiw them??

[LAMetroGuy]

Hooters sign is up at the Pike, looks like they will be moving soon! I think that this location is better than the Pine location, La Craperie is a better fit on pine! Plus they will have a full liquor license... whereas they don't on 2nd street!

[CityKid]

Hooters sign is up at the Pike, looks like they will be moving soon! I think that this location is better than the Pine location, La Craperie is a better fit on pine! Plus they will have a full liquor license... whereas they don't on 2nd street!

Awesome! Hooters would be a much better fit in the Pike. The Pike is kind of like Long Beach's Fisherman's Wharf. The tourists love it, but the residents avoid it like the plague, for the most part. It looks like Creme de la Crepe in the East Village is going to have some competition now.

[CityKid]

From www.presstelegram.com:

DOWNTOWN: Plans call for construction to start next year and be completed in 2012.
By Karen Robes Meeks
Staff Writer
Posted: 12/17/2009 07:38:04 PM PST

The rear-view of the courthouse design by California Judicial Partners.
The courthouse design by Balfour, Beatty.

LONG BEACH - The three teams vying for the chance to design and operate the new downtown courthouse have proposed a mix of modern and classic architectural designs and features ranging from rooftop terraces and landscaped courtyards to atriums meant to inspire transparency.

Architects from Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum (HOK); Perkins + Will and AECOM recently presented designs for a new Long Beach Courthouse, which will be built on a 6-acre site bordered by Broadway, Magnolia Avenue, Third Street and Maine Avenue.

The teams - California Judicial Partners, Lankford Phelps, Balfour Beatty Capital - last week submitted the financial and commercial parts of their plans, the final portion of the two-part proposal.

Perkins + Will, the architect on the Balfour Beatty team, was involved in the design of UCLA's Neuroscience Research Building and LAPD's Rampart and Harbor stations. It envisioned an atrium between a pair of buildings and a wave wall that would feature a composition of colored glass to reflect the city's relationship to the water.

The high-volume courtrooms would be traditional in design and prominently located and will have a landscaped roof. Features also include drought-tolerant Mediterranean plants and a palm court.

AECOM, the architect for the California Judicial Partners that designed Loyola Marymount University's William Hannon Library and LAPD's new headquarters, envisioned a "low-rise scheme" that's in keeping with the city's efforts to becoming a more walkable city. The L-shape design would feature a four-story office and five-story court building and have a large, secured courtyard for a "Southern California feel." High-volume courtrooms would be on the first two levels and all courtrooms would be traditionally arranged with access to natural light. The courthouse design by Lankford, Phelps.
assembly room on the fourth floor would include an outdoor area.

For the lobby, Andrew Cupples of AECOM told the panel, "We wanted to have a space that would breathe, that people could actually use."

HOK, the architect for the Lankford Phelps team that worked on the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center and teamed with Esherick Homsey Dodge and Davis on the Aquarium of the Pacific, envisioned the six-story linear building to recall some classic ideas of court and civic buildings with their courthouse steps, colonnade and other features, but with a modern twist.

The great hall, the atrium, is to inspire the concept of transparency. The space would feature limestone walls and wood accents. The high-volume courtrooms would be one level up and one level below entry level and the design would also feature a rooftop terrace and landscaped public plaza.

Slated for completion in 2012, the courthouse will feature a 545,000-square-foot building with 31 civil and criminal courtrooms, 63,000 square feet of county office space, 9,200 square feet of retail space and a basement that will include a "sally port," or controlled-entry space, and an in-custody holding facility. The new building will house 800 workers and attract 3,500 to 4,500 visitors daily.

It will replace the courthouse building on 415 W. Ocean Blvd. Built about 50 years ago, the current courthouse has been identified by the state as one of the worst in terms of security, overcrowding and physical condition, according to court officials.

State and city officials have agreed to a land swap that will allow the state to give the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency 415 W. Ocean Blvd., in exchange for the agency property in the West Gateway area. The courthouse will remain on-site while the new one is being built. The state also plans to remodel the Magnolia parking structure.

A trio of teams consisting of architects, builders, financiers and facility managers are competing for the chance to design, fund, operate and maintain the state-owned courthouse.

Under a "performance-based infrastructure arrangement" - the first of its kind in the nation - the state will enter into a 35-year service contract with the winning team and make payments based on the success of the building's operation and maintenance.

Designs were submitted in November but were not released to the public until this week.

Meanwhile, the Administrative Office of the Courts announced Thursday that it has begun reviewing the financing and commercial portions of the three teams' proposals, which included tax-exempt bond financing and bank-funded financing alternatives, according to the state.

The state Department of Finance will examine "the preferred proposal to ensure that its financing terms minimize risk to the state's credit rating," according to the state.

The winning team will be chosen in mid-March, with construction to begin in late 2010.

karen.robes@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1303

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site204/2009/1217/20091217__pn18-courtlankfordphelpsJPG.JPG
Courthouse by Lankford, Phelps

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site204/2009/1217/20091217__C_PN18-COURTBALFOUR+PC4KUPC.JPG
Courthouse by Balfour, Beatty

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site204/2009/1217/20091217__PN18_courtCal_Judicial.jpg
The rear-view of the courthouse design by California Judicial Partners

You can also view a very informative video on the designs by clicking here. (http://easylink.playstream.com/aocstream/ccn/ccn121509_story1.wvx)

[CityKid]

From the Gazette (http://www.gazettes.com/articles/2009/12/18/community_news/doc4b2bbf460301f679500185.txt):


Art Exchange Report Out For Public Review

By Harry Saltzgaver
Executive Editor
Published: Friday, December 18, 2009 11:37 AM PST


A draft environmental impact report for the proposed Art Exchange — the replacement for Acres of Books at Third Street and Long Beach Boulevard — is ready for review.

According to the EIR, the environmentally superior alternative would be to reuse the entire Acres of Books building and not build anything else new. But that approach would not meet many of the goals of the project, the report concludes.

As now proposed, the Art Exchange would be a 10,150-square-foot building on about 15,000 square feet of land, with an open central courtyard. The project would use the 50-foot wide Acres of Books building frontage on Long Beach Boulevard and 100 feet of the building to the east (approximately 5,150 square feet). The rest of the Acres of Books building, another 150 feet to the east, would be torn down.

The draft EIR says that the only significant impacts of the full Art Exchange project are air quality issues during construction and the historic, or cultural, impact of losing Acres of Books. The report says that, while the building was designated a Long Beach historic landmark in 1990, it likely would not meet criteria for inclusion on either the state or national historic registers.

Instead, the proposed mitigation is an extensive photographic and architectural plan record, coupled with the reuse of the Long Beach Boulevard façade. The rest of the Art Exchange design also would reflect the existing clear span structural system and open floor plan, along with adjustable wall systems to create studios and other spaces that can change for future needs.

About two-thirds of the Broadway block, between Broadway and Third Street from Long Beach Boulevard to Elm Avenue, would remain a parking lot waiting for future construction. The new building would fill the northwest corner of the block over to the Acres of Books building.

It would include about eight artist studios, a hot shop for glass and ceramic work, classrooms or a multi-purpose room and a small gallery. The concept is that it would be a for-profit business, with artists selling their work on-site, along with a center for activities. Phil Appleby and the East Village Association have championed the project as a key to the East Village Arts District.

When the city’s Redevelopment Agency first moved to acquire the property on the block and close Acres of Books, it became a cause celebre. The owners, Phil and Jackie Smith were paid market value for the property and were offered help with finding a new location, but when the store finally closed last year, there was no move to a new spot.

Acres of Books’ passing was mourned by science fiction giant Ray Bradbury, among others, as the loss of an iconic independent bookstore and Long Beach landmark. It was said to contain six and a half miles of shelves, packed with used books.

For the Art Exchange to take its place, the Redevelopment Agency board must certify the EIR, and the Planning Commission must approve final plans. The next step in that process is seeking comment on the draft EIR and responding to those comments.

If approvals take place in a timely manner, construction could start next year, the report says. Plans call for obtaining LEED certification.

The document is available on-line at www.lbds.info/planning under the environmental planning tab. Printed copies are available for review at the city’s Planning Department on the fifth floor of City Hall, 333 W. Ocean Blvd.

The public comment period on the Draft EIR runs through Jan. 28. Written comments should be sent to Craig Chalfant at 333 W. Ocean Blvd., Fifth Floor, Long Beach, CA 90802. Or comments can be e-mailed to craig.chalfant@longbeach.gov and faxed to 570-6068.

[FlyBono24]

Does anyone know where the monthly parking sites are in downtown? I know I posted earlier in this thread but I didn't receive a response...

We are moving to the BLU Condos in March/April if all the paperwork goes through... but we only got one parking space. Where is the closest monthly/long-term parking?

Thanks in advance. :cheers:

[CityKid]

Does anyone know where the monthly parking sites are in downtown? I know I posted earlier in this thread but I didn't receive a response...

We are moving to the BLU Condos in March/April if all the paperwork goes through... but we only got one parking space. Where is the closest monthly/long-term parking?

Thanks in advance. :cheers:

Sorry, FlyBono, I just don't know of any. I know they exist though. Yelp lists a whole bunch, but no ratings for any of the garages. Best of luck to you.

[FlyBono24]

Sorry, FlyBono, I just don't know of any. I know they exist though. Yelp lists a whole bunch, but no ratings for any of the garages. Best of luck to you.

Hmm... I never thought of using Yelp! Thanks for the idea, I'll go check it out. :cool:

[CityKid]

I'm back in the LBC for the holidays and took a bunch of photos of West Gateway Lyon. Unfortunately, I left my USB cord for my camera in NY. Rats. I'll post photos as soon as I am able.

By the way, while wandering around, I noticed that something was going up at Burnett and Long Beach Blvd. Does anyone have any leads about what that might be?

[CityKid]

Hooters moving from Pine Avenue to the Pike
By Paul Eakins, Staff Writer
Posted: 12/28/2009 06:00:32 PM PST

LONG BEACH - Hooters has a new place to nest.

The restaurant, which is known as much for its waitresses as it is for its wings, is moving from its location at 130 Pine Ave. to the Pike just down the hill. In its place, La Creperie Cafe, 4911 E. 2nd St., plans to open a second location in the now-closed Hooters storefront.

Adrian Oca, the Hooters area director for Los Angeles County, said Monday that the restaurant chain shut the doors on its Pine Avenue location Sunday night after about a decade there.

The restaurant will reopen at 71 Aquarium Way, across from GameWorks, in early February, he said. Oca said the new building with high ceilings will support the restaurant's planned audio and visual upgrades, such as giant projector televisions.

He said he also hopes to take advantage of the crowds at the Pike and the Long Beach Convention Center.

"We just felt like it's a good spot," Oca said. "The Pike has a lot of activity and it has a lot of people down there, and we like to be where the action is."

However, the Pine Avenue storefront won't be empty for long.

Jeff Almaz, a partner and operator of La Creperie, said the Belmont Shore restaurant has signed the lease for the former Hooters location and will start renovating it in January. The work may take four or five months before the restaurant can open, he said.

Like for Hooters, Almaz said location was the key - being on Pine and close to the Convention Center and downtown hotels. La Creperie is also well known, which he said should make opening a second restaurant easier.

"Since it's very familiar in Long Beach, it will do good on Pine," Almaz said.

paul.eakins@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1278

[LAMetroGuy]

Very happy about the hooters move! I've always thought that hooters was out of place on pine. The pike needs those empty storefronts filled and I think hooters will make a nice addition to the pike.

As for pine, I love the creperie. I visit the one on 2nd street all the time. the only problem is that there is always an hour long wait and i have to drive or take passport. I like the live music and the amazing crepes! Since I live in downtown LB, this new location will be walking distance so I'm happy! Also, from what I've heard, the Pine location will have a full liquor license... which is a good thing. The 2nd street location doesn't.

Cheers! :cheers:

[CityKid]

I found information on the project going on at Burnett and Long Beach Blvd. It looks like a good infill project.

From www.lbhdc.org:


http://www.lbhdc.org/images/Long%20Beach%20&%20Burnett%20Apartments-Rendering.gif

The Long Beach & Burnett Apartments is a mixed-income, multi-family housing development offering two- and three-bedroom housing units; 36 of the units will be affordable to very low-, low- and moderate-income renters, and 10 units will be at market rate. Estimated completion date is December 2010.

[LAMetroGuy]

Great news on that infill project!

Went to the Vons on Broadway and Atlantic today, the cashier informed me that they are closing on January 13th for a 9 month remodel. I asked if the remodel will turn the Vons into a similar store like the one in Belmont Shore, she said no... it will be more like the new Pavilions in West Hollywood, more urban and will have a rooftop parking structure. My guess is that it will not have a setback and be more urban in design. She said it will have a gourmet deli, starbucks, etc. Sounds like good news for downtown residents who were tired of that tiny store!

After some research, I found out that per the "Conceptual Site Plan Review", it calls for a 47500 square foot Von's market with a 128- stall rooftop parking lot.


http://cdn1.curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/2520/4167221562_86a9a92029_o.jpg
Source: Curbed LA

[LAMetroGuy]

Here are the renderings of the new Vons:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/rpulido/Vons/FinalRendering.jpg
Source: KKE Archtects

[SantaCruzGuy]

...talking supermarkets... Is fresh and easy still coming to downtown? Any news on the rumor?

[ChrisLA]

Here are the renderings of the new Vons:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/rpulido/Vons/FinalRendering.jpg
Source: KKE Archtects


Wow, its about time. :banana: Now if only Trader Joes would open a store downtown. I doubt they would since there are four within 10-15 mins in each direction.

[202_Cyclist]

Wow, its about time. Now if only Trader Joes would open a store downtown. I doubt they would since there are four within 10-15 mins in each direction.

This looks like a significant improvement compared to the current store, with its large surface-parking lot and setback from the street. There is a similar proposal for rebuilding a Safeway here in DC. Safeway wants to replace its current suburban-style big-box store and surface parking lot with another store that largely maintains the suburban grocery-store format with some minor changes. The debate has become quite heated http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=4334. This store is within a ten minute walk of two metro stations and is on a major arterial road leading into DC. Many of us in the community want Safeway to partner with a developer to build new housing on top of the store.

One recommendation for the proposed redevelopment of the Vons in Long Beach that I would suggest is to locate any retail (Starbucks, dry cleaning, etc...) that is part of this store to have independent entrance along the street to encourage more vibrant street life rather than have this only be accessible from inside the store.

[CityKid]

^^^ SantaCruzGuy, the last I heard, Fresh & Easy in downtown Long Beach was still a go.

Here is a photo update of the West Gateway Lyon Project. It looks like the project is coming along nicely. It's HUGE. I'll save my opinion for when it's finished. These were taken by me on December 26, 2009.

Broadway and Cedar
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2756/4251406717_1833ddfff2_b.jpg

Broadway and Magnolia
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4011/4252191420_087442ea80_b.jpg

Looking east down Broadway from Magnolia
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2449/4252185860_0a0a974bd5_b.jpg

Looking north up Magnolia from Broadway
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4252188614_ccb2d8ec59_b.jpg

3rd and Magnolia
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4009/4251421215_b35d2105ab_b.jpg

Looking east on 3rd from Magnolia
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4252197068_bf6a722a2b_b.jpg

[CityKid]

Here are the renderings of the new Vons:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v600/rpulido/Vons/FinalRendering.jpg
Source: KKE Archtects

That looks awesome. I was just down there recently and thought that lot could use an urban face lift.

[sopas ej]

Great news on that infill project!

Went to the Vons on Broadway and Atlantic today, the cashier informed me that they are closing on January 13th for a 9 month remodel. I asked if the remodel will turn the Vons into a similar store like the one in Belmont Shore, she said no... it will be more like the new Pavilions in West Hollywood, more urban and will have a rooftop parking structure. My guess is that it will not have a setback and be more urban in design. She said it will have a gourmet deli, starbucks, etc. Sounds like good news for downtown residents who were tired of that tiny store!

After some research, I found out that per the "Conceptual Site Plan Review", it calls for a 47500 square foot Von's market with a 128- stall rooftop parking lot.


http://cdn1.curbednetwork.com/cache/gallery/2520/4167221562_86a9a92029_o.jpg
Source: Curbed LA

Funny I would read this now; over the weekend, my partner and I were in Long Beach and we drove past this and he said "I should take a picture of this, it's one of the few Vonses that still looks like this. You KNOW they'll eventually remodel it into (or knock it down for) something current and bland." And sure enough, he was right. Maybe we'll go down this weekend and take extensive photos of the exterior. This architectural style for supermarkets are indeed a vanishing breed.

[LAMetroGuy]

I agree this architectural style is a vanishing breed, however I believe that the new design is much better and more functional. I feel that preservationists sometimes hang on to a design just because it is rare, but not necessarily nice to look at. But then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I really dislike this Vons in it's current state. At the end of the day it is just a market that needs to provide groceries to the neighborhood. Right now, this Vons is the worst market in the hood, this remodel will be a nice addition to the neighborhood. I don't think the new design is bland, I like it and I'm the one that has to live with it. Plus, the new Vons will have more variety of groceries , which I'm happy about!

[202_Cyclist]

LAMetroGuy--


I agree this architectural style is a vanishing breed, however I believe that the new design is much better and more functional. I feel that preservationists sometimes hang on to a design just because it is rare, but not necessarily nice to look at. But then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I really dislike this Vons in it's current state. At the end of the day it is just a market that needs to provide groceries to the neighborhood. Right now, this Vons is the worst market in the hood, this remodel will be a nice addition to the neighborhood. I don't think the new design is bland, I like it and I'm the one that has to live with it. Plus, the new Vons will have more variety of groceries , which I'm happy about!

You are exactly right. Frequently, those who oppose any new development are out of control with their appeals to get something declared as historic. Here in DC, a some people wanted to get a surface parking declared historic because it was one of the earliest examples of an auto-centric strip mall: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mr_t_in_dc/2207013427/

Another egregious abuse of historic preservation involves another grocery store in DC. Much like this Vons in Long Beach, there is a Giant supermarket (http://www.wisconsinavegiant.com/conditions.htm) that consists of a large surface parking-lot, a one-story dilapidated supermarket with inferior selection, and boarded up stores along a major street. Here are the conditions today: http://www.wisconsinavegiant.com/conditions.htm . There are plans to replace this with a modern, clean grocery store with new retail stores, rowhouses and 120 condos. The anti-development community, however, wanted to get this building declared historic because it serves as an example of a 1950s commercial shopping center.

[luvLBC]

I am so glad that the Vons on Broadway being remodel. There were not much items that I want from walking to there. Otherewise I have to drive to another supermarket to find the one I want. Can't wait to see the improvement of that area.

[sopas ej]

I agree this architectural style is a vanishing breed, however I believe that the new design is much better and more functional. I feel that preservationists sometimes hang on to a design just because it is rare, but not necessarily nice to look at. But then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I really dislike this Vons in it's current state. At the end of the day it is just a market that needs to provide groceries to the neighborhood. Right now, this Vons is the worst market in the hood, this remodel will be a nice addition to the neighborhood. I don't think the new design is bland, I like it and I'm the one that has to live with it. Plus, the new Vons will have more variety of groceries , which I'm happy about!

I actually think the new plans are indeed a better use of the site with much better use of space; this Vons as it is now is small. And the addition of a gourmet deli, etc. will be a plus for the community for sure. I just think it's kinda sad that fewer markets look like this. There was a Ralphs in my own town of South Pasadena that had a similar look to this with the arched roof but a more glassy front facade, it was a total time warp and I thought it looked really retro Atomic Age, and cool in that respect. But it was later remodeled into that tacky faux Craftsman architecture and so now it looks like it could be in Rancho Cucamonga circa late 1990s-2003. Oh well.

I'm sure people didn't lament the larger postwar mid-Century supermarkets that started replacing these Streamline Moderne-style supermarkets, which I think also look cool; too bad these don't exist anymore, this example having been in LA's Crenshaw district, photo dating from 1942 courtesy USC archive:

http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/2048/ralphscrenshawrodeo1942.jpg

[FlyBono24]

Is there a petition or anything about removing the Wal-Mart downtown? That place is a magnet for the homeless and the ghetto thugs from the Wesss-side and all those ghetto communities along the Blue Line. They all seem to come down from Compton and Lynwood or whatever via the Metro and congregate outside the Wal-Mart and cause trouble.

That whole area would be much nicer if they got rid of that and put a Target or a department store.

[CityKid]

From the Contra Costa Times (http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14255904?nclick_check=1):

New Kroc Center offers home to Long Beach Junior Concert Band
Construction slated this spring at Pacific Coast Highway and Walnut
By Al Rudis, Staff Writer
Posted: 01/23/2010 06:44:56 PM PST
Updated: 01/23/2010 07:00:28 PM PST

The Salvation Army's Ray and Joan Kroc Center, which begins construction this spring at Pacific Coast Highway and Walnut in Long Beach, has offered a home to the Long Beach Junior Concert Band.

The Army's Major Glen Madsen announced at Saturday's funeral for Marvin Marker the creation of the Marvin Marker Memorial Endowment for Music at the center.

"Since Marvin Marker left his entire estate to the Salvation Army, Major Madsen wanted to create a way to carry on Marvin's legacy of building character through music," said Evan Lamont, a spokesperson for the Army, Saturday.

"If you look at the individuals that have gone on from the band to be tremendously successful people, that's the kind of theme we want to take over to the Kroc Center as well. The center's theme is going to be giving kids an opportunity to reach world-class potential."

"You're going to be able to train with Olympic-class athletes at the swimming pools, and our music conservatory will bring in the best professors and teachers from Long Beach State, City College and Long Beach Unified School District." Lamont said the conservatory would be named the Marvin Marker Music Conservatory.

In addition, the center will become the band's home. "Major Madsen met with the band on Thursday evening," said Lamont. "They've been having some issues with paying their rent, and it just seems like natural synergy to make the Kroc Center their permanent home."

When completed, the Kroc Center will cover 168,000-square-feet on a 19-acre campus. "We're looking to start our grading process after the rainy season in April, and construction will probably take two to three years after that," said Lamont.


Video from LBPost.com:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNnbgWG_JBI

[CityKid]

Was a little slow in finding this one, but here it is from www.presstelegram.com:

Downtown Vons getting a renovation
By Kristopher Hanson, Staff Writer
Posted: 01/12/2010 05:09:53 PM PST


LONG BEACH - The 1960s-era Vons at Broadway and Atlantic Avenue is being shuttered until fall while it undergoes a multimillion-dollar renovation.

The site has been scheduled for upgrades amid growing competition between downtown grocers eager for a slice of the growing population and changing consumer tastes.

The new store will more than double in size, covering the existing parking lot. The remodeled store will offer rooftop parking, a bank and a pharmacy.

At about 50,000 square feet, the redeveloped property far exceeds the existing site's 22,000 square feet, said Daymond Rice, a spokesman for Safeway, Vons' parent company.

The current market closed Tuesday night and is expected to open again by November, said Rice.

The market's pharmacy will move across the street to 523 E. Broadway during the renovations. It opens there Friday.

In the run-up to the closure, Vons held a fire sale for its remaining groceries, offering up to half off for such goods as canned fruit and veggies, bread and baby food.

The store's shelves had been picked clean of perishables, meat, liquor and soda by Monday, however.

Originally built in 1966 as a Safeway, the supermarket became a Vons location in 1989, Rice said.

It's the second Vons in Long Beach to undergo a major renovation in recent years. The Vons at 3900 E. Ocean Blvd. in Belmont Shore was closed about a year for a major upgrade involving its interior and exterior.

When it reopened in May 2008, the 15,000-square-foot store had been rebranded The Market at Vons and featured more fresh and prepared foods than the previous supermarket.

The Broadway store had long been the only major supermarket downtown, but faced increased competition in recent years with the opening of a Walmart at Fifth Street and Pine Avenue and an Albertsons at Sixth Street and Long Beach Boulevard.

The renewed Vons will be also feature more fresh foods and more food and store shelves overall, as well as a U.S. Bank branch.

As for the workers, Rice said all were transferred to other Vons and Pavilions locations in the area.

For now, the closest Vons locations are at 3900 E. Ocean Blvd. and at 1820 Ximeno Ave.

kristopher.hanson@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1466

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site204/2010/0112/20100112__PN13-VONs1.JPG
Few items remain on the shelves at the Vons Grocery store in the 600 block of East Broadway in Long Beach on Tuesday. The store is closing for remodeling and is expected to reopen this fall. (Jeff Gritchen/Press-Telegram)

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site204/2010/0112/20100112__PN13-VONs2.JPG
Few items remain on the shelves at the Vons on Broadway. (Jeff Gritchen/Press-Telegram)

[LAMetroGuy]

Updated rendering of the New Vault 350

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2685/4163129634_79b81a0313_o.jpg
Source: newvault350.com

[FlyBono24]

Updated rendering of the New Vault 350

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2685/4163129634_79b81a0313_o.jpg
Source: newvault350.com

If they got bands that people actually wanted to see, maybe it wouldn't be constantly changing hands and on the verge of bankruptcy.

[LAMetroGuy]

If they got bands that people actually wanted to see, maybe it wouldn't be constantly changing hands and on the verge of bankruptcy.

Constantly??? :shrug:

[CityKid]

From www.presstelegram.com:

Century-old Long Beach hotel may get new life
By Karen Robes Meeks, Staff Writer
Posted: 01/30/2010 07:26:32 PM PST

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- The team behind the revival of the ArtTheatre and the Ebell Club could soon be in talks with redevelopment officials over resurrecting one of downtown's oldest commercial buildings.

The Long Beach Redevelopment Agency Board on Monday will consider a six-month exclusive negotiating agreement with Urbana Development LLC, for the development of the 105-year-old American Hotel.

If approved, the agreement would allow the agency and Urbana Development to discuss the project's physical and financial viability, said Downtown Redevelopment Project Officer Carl Morgan, adding that both sides would work on a flexible plan that will work with the changing market.

Built in 1905, the American Hotel building at 224 E. Broadway - a three-story vernacular brick structure with classical detailing - is considered to be the city's second-oldest documented downtown commercial building.

It was commissioned by William C. Price, who wanted a "psychic Temple" for the Society of New or Practical Psychology.

After Anna Sewell purchased the property in 1911, it became The American House, a prosaic single-room occupancy hotel.

The building, which the city declared a historic landmark in 1989, became run-down and a magnet for criminal activity, prompting the agency to purchase the property in 2000.

City officials have said that part of the challenge will be updating the building and making it structurally sound. It will include upgrades to the building's utilities and making it safer from earthquakes.

Urbana Development, which responded to the agency's request for proposals last summer, was formed by members of East Village Partners, a firm that specializes in renovating and reusing historic structures.

The team's projects have included the Art Theatre, a 1924 theater along Fourth Street's Retro Row; the Ebell Club, a social club and event venue in the Alamitos Beach neighborhood; and the East Village Creative Offices.

If negotiations are successful, the building would become a mixed-use project with retail or a restaurant on the ground floor and office space in the two upper floors, said Jan Van Dijs, who is involved in the proposed project.

"The story behind (the building) is pretty compelling," he said. "It's really an opportunity to take a building that's really beat up and transform it into something that's a real addition to that thoroughfare."

Agency board member John Thomas said he is eager to hear what the developer has in mind for the building, which could connect the East Village and Pine Avenue and revitalize the area.

The meeting will take place at 9 a.m. in council chambers at City Hall, 333 W. Ocean Blvd.

karen.robes@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1303

[LAMetroGuy]

Gerald Desmond Bridge headed for replacement

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site577/2010/0130/20100130_114607_TN00GD_B2_500.jpg

The aging Gerald Desmond Bridge could soon be demolished and replaced with a new $1.1 billion span under a proposal expected to be announced this week by the Port of Long Beach, Calif..

Plans call for building a cable-supported bridge with a main span of 2,000 feet and six traffic lanes that connects Terminal Island to downtown Long Beach, according to the port's draft environmental impact report. If approved, it could take up to six years to build the new bridge while trucks and commuter traffic continue to cross the old span nearby.

The 42-year-old Gerald Desmond Bridge is considered a critical link for truckers hauling goods from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to the rest of the country.

"Fifteen percent of the nation's imports cross the Gerald Desmond Bridge, taking goods to every single congressional district in the nation," said Richard Steinke, executive director of the Port of Long Beach.

"It really is a bridge to everywhere and a workhorse of the goods movement system, so it needs to be replaced with a safer, more adequate system," Steinke said. "No one thought back in the 1960s that international trade would have grown as much as it has over the past 40 years."

The proposed bridge would have a vertical clearance of 200 feet, about 45 feet taller than the current span, port officials said. The additional height will allow larger cargo ships and newer, cleaner vessels to pass under the bridge and access port terminals equipped with shoreside electrical power.

"There's a concern that the (Gerald Desmond) bridge is too low for the larger ships coming in, so the port really needs to replace it if they intend to remain competitive with expanding ports in other parts of the country and in Panama," said Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.

"This project is critical," Kyser said. "When looking at other ports, you come to the conclusion that Los Angeles and Long Beach are well-placed and competitive, but you need to improve the infrastructure for it to remain that way."

Large nets were placed beneath the old arch bridge at least five years ago to catch chunks of falling concrete that could have landed on workers and nearby businesses. The bridge's concrete decks and superstructure rank near the bottom of the state's inspection grading system, holding a 48 sustainability rating on a scale that ranges from 100 as the high to zero as the low.

Despite the poor rating, port officials said the crumbling bridge is still safe for the estimated 68,000 vehicles that cross the span daily, about 75percent of which are commuters traveling between Long Beach and San Pedro.

To accommodate anticipated increases in traffic, the new bridge will be equipped with three lanes in each direction and an emergency clearance on both sides. The current bridge has only two lanes of traffic in each direction and no emergency lanes, leading to major traffic jams when accidents occur.

"This bridge is just as important for the Port of Los Angeles as it is for the Port of Long Beach when you look at where the traffic is headed from those terminals," said Michele Grubbs, vice president of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association, a trade group representing more than 60 vessel and terminal operators.

"It's absolutely critical that they replace this bridge because it's a vital link for economic development and the jobs it creates, not just for the port, but for the region," Grubbs said. "Getting it replaced will send a message to cargo owners that we want jobs here and we want economic development at these ports."

Port officials said they have about half the money needed to build the new bridge, while the remaining funds will be sought from federal, state and local sources. Once the new bridge is completed, it will be owned by the California Department of Transportation and become part of the state's highway system, officials said.

The Gerald Desmond Bridge replacement was listed among several infrastructure projects funded by a cargo fee that was supposed to generate $1.4 billion, along with matching funds from the Proposition 1B transportation measure that was approved by voters in 2006.

The cargo fee was adopted by the Los Angeles and Long Beach harbor commissions in January 2008, but was never collected due to a series of roadblocks.

The lack of environmental impact reports for the proposed bridge, railway and road projects kept officials from collecting the fee from shippers. Additionally, the ongoing national recession hit shipping companies hard, making the cargo fee an unattractive burden for those doing business at the ports.

For now, the Los Angeles and Long Beach harbor commissions have stalled collection of the fee until July 1 as they continue to study how much to charge shippers. However, the fee might not ever be implemented, said Art Wong, a spokesman for the Port of Long Beach.

art.marroquin@dailybreeze.com


Looks like they chose the Cable-Stayed Steel Composite with Single Pilon Towers version:

Desmond Bridge, Port of Long Beach, CA
Photosimulation of proposed bridge allternatives



CURRENT DESMOND BRIDGE
http://www.poitra.com/images/desmondbridge/desmondbridge_existing.gif

Cable-Stayed Concrete with Twin Pilon Towers
http://www.poitra.com/images/desmondbridge/desmondbridge_alt1.gif

Cable-Stayed Steel Composite with Diamond Towers
http://www.poitra.com/images/desmondbridge/desmondbridge_alt2.gif

Cable-Stayed Steel Composite with Single Pilon Towers
http://www.poitra.com/images/desmondbridge/desmondbridge_alt3.gif

Steel Tied Arch
http://www.poitra.com/images/desmondbridge/desmondbridge_alt4.gif

Cable-Stayed Concrete with Single Pilon Towers
http://www.poitra.com/images/desmondbridge/desmondbridge_alt5.gif

[Truth789]

I agree this architectural style is a vanishing breed, however I believe that the new design is much better and more functional. I feel that preservationists sometimes hang on to a design just because it is rare, but not necessarily nice to look at. But then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I really dislike this Vons in it's current state. At the end of the day it is just a market that needs to provide groceries to the neighborhood. Right now, this Vons is the worst market in the hood, this remodel will be a nice addition to the neighborhood. I don't think the new design is bland, I like it and I'm the one that has to live with it. Plus, the new Vons will have more variety of groceries , which I'm happy about!

I'm psyched about the new VONS but.... beige? really? Doesn't Long Beach have enough beige buildings???!

[CityKid]

Long Beach got some good press over at Streetsblog Los Angeles earlier this week. Click here for the article. (http://la.streetsblog.org/2010/02/24/encouraging-signs-in-long-beach/)

[SantaCruzGuy]

On my way to Pinkberry last night, I saw signage that the new LA Creperie will open downtown in May! :notacrook:

[SantaCruzGuy]

A rendering of the proposed Art Exchange project. (Rodolfo_M)
http://http://www.presstelegram.com/portlet/article/html/imageDisplay.jsp?contentItemRelationshipId=2883337
Press Telegram-LONG BEACH - A project to build an art center at the site formerly known as Acres of Books cleared a major hurdle Monday.

The Long Beach Redevelopment Agency Board approved the final environmental impact report for Art Exchange, an art-driven facility where visitors can watch local artists create, buy art and attend classes.

The 10,150-square-foot building would be at least silver LEED certified and incorporate the front 5,000 square feet of Art Deco facade of Acres of Books, the longtime business that once attracted writer Ray Bradbury and other literati to its cavernous bookstore at 240 Long Beach Blvd., Acres' home for 50 of its 74 years. (Owners Phil and Jackie Smith sold their property to the agency for $2.8 million in 2008.)

"This adaptive use model is another great example of how buildings can be reused and continue with their historic architecture and character-defining features, to tell yet another evolving story in the history of Long Beach," said RDA board member John Thomas.

Monday's vote was a significant milestone for a downtown project that redevelopment officials say has been more than a decade in the making.

The Art Exchange will be a major element of Broadway Block, an area bordered by Broadway, Long Beach Boulevard, Third Street and Elm Avenue that would encompass retail, housing and art space and be the connector to other parts of downtown, including Pine Avenue, the East Village and the waterfront.

Also being planned for Broadway Block is a proposal by Cal State Long Beach to develop a live/work student space that could house up to 400 fine arts students and faculty members.

The agency board agreed Monday to extend its talks with the college for another year for possibly locating its graduate arts program next to the Art Exchange.

Similar to the Torpedo Factory art center in Alexandria, Va., and InCUBATE in Chicago, the Art Exchange would be overseen by a nonprofit group and feature artists studios, a hot shop for glass making, ceramics production, demonstrations and classes, gallery spaces and gift shop.

Other action
The agency board also agreed to lease 340 E. 3rd Street to Art Exchange Visual Art Center, Inc., the nonprofit group developing the Art Exchange. The property will be used to help with the group's fund-raising efforts and membership building.

[CityKid]

On my way to Pinkberry last night, I saw signage that the new LA Creperie will open downtown in May! :notacrook:

That's really exciting. It'll be just in time for summer. Hopefully, that'll encourage more people to bring their business to Pine Ave.

[ChrisLA]

On my way to Pinkberry last night, I saw signage that the new LA Creperie will open downtown in May! :notacrook:

Yeah I seen that too, I love that place. I'm also looking forward to the opening of the new organic market over at 5th and Pine. The last time I walked by, there was some serious activity going on inside. So it looks like they could be opening up hopefully early spring. :banana:

[FlyBono24]

How's the Fresh & Easy at CityPlace coming along? I'm moving down there next month so it would be nice to have a nice supermarket to shop at, and not that ghetto Albertsons.

[ChrisLA]

How's the Fresh & Easy at CityPlace coming along? I'm moving down there next month so it would be nice to have a nice supermarket to shop at, and not that ghetto Albertsons.

Albertsons ghetto :shrug:

Are you sure you're not referring to Vons? Although it's being demolished at this time, and a new and larger one is replacing it.

The Fresh & Easy won't probably open for a few months. I don't think they even posted a sign yet. I think its going to be where Anna's Linens used to be.

[FlyBono24]

No the Albertons at LB Blvd. and 5th? Right across from the WalMart center... all these homeless people and thugs hanging around outside asking for money and staring people down.

Last time I drove by the F&E there was a sign outside saying they were applying for a liquor license. It doesn't look like they've done much work inside.

[ChrisLA]

I guess I never thought about the homeless much since it's been so rare I've seen them. I know there is a place across the street from the shopping center, but again haven't seen around all that much.

Now if you ask me about the Starbucks, I would say I understand. It seems as if they like to hang out either in front or inside. The seating area inside this Starbucks is sort of hidden from the counter behind a wall, so sometime they congregate inside.

I'm not a frequent customer of Starbucks since I prefer Peets instead. But when I do, I visit the one on Pine Avenue a block west of City Place.

[JDRCRASH]

Wow this bridge is a huge opportunity to create something iconic for Long Beach.

[FlyBono24]

Wow this bridge is a huge opportunity to create something iconic for Long Beach.

I hope they get started on it soon... I'll be driving over that old, crumbling bridge everyday on the way to work and back. :haha:

[CityKid]

From www.gazettes.com:

Mega-Development Downtown Gets First Okay

DOWNTOWN ICON. The Union Bank Building on Ocean Boulevard and Golden Shore would be replaced if the Keesal-Molina plan moves forward. —Gazette photo by Thomas Wasper
By Harry Saltzgaver
Executive Editor
Published: Friday, March 19, 2010 1:50 PM PDT
A package of proposals that could result in the largest single project ever built in Long Beach went to the Planning Commission last Thursday night for an Environmental Impact Report approval.

The package sailed through the approval process, thanks in part to a lenghty study session earlier this year. Only two members of the public spoke — one in favor and the other, a member of Unite Here seeking more information. In fact, a permit for a car wash in north Long Beach took longer to approve than the Golden Shore Master Plan.

The commission was unanimous in its approvals. Principal Architect Daniel Clark made the presentation.

In addition to certification of the EIR, 400 Oceangate Ltd. And Molina Healthcare — Skip Keesal and Mario Molina — are seeking a master development plan approval that would allow one of three alternatives to replace the 14-story Union Bank building, the six-story City National Bank building and the Molina Healthcare center on either side of Golden Shore Avenue.

Developer George Medak is representing the partnership. Keesal and 400 Oceangate own the Union Bank and City Bank buildings while Molina owns his corporate building and the adjacent parking structure. The group announced the Golden Shore Master Plan in November 2007 and have spent the last two years preparing the plan and doing the research for the EIR.

As presented to the Planning Commission, the project would have a maximum of 1,379 residential units, 340,000 square feet f office space, a 400-room hotel, 27,000 square feet of conference and banquet space and up to 3,430 parking spaces.

Most of the property, 4.31 acres, is west of Golden Shore — the City Bank and Molina properties. The Union Bank and adjacent parking is on 1.56 acres east of Golden Shore.

All three of the development options include a 40-story tower, taller than anything currently in Long Beach, and a total of four high-rise buildings. Two of the three options include a 400-room hotel and all include at least some two-story townhomes.

Under the proposed master plan, each building or phase of the project would require separate Planning Commission approval of the site plan and any additional entitlements. The EIR concludes that all impacts can be mitigated to a level below significant impacts with the exception of short-term and cumulative air quality, construction–related noise and project-related traffic impacts.

The Planning Commission is being asked to adopt a statement of overriding considerations and a mitigation monitoring program in addition to certifying the EIR.

When the Union Bank, City Bank and Molina buildings were first developed, it was under guidelines established by a lawsuit settlement between the city’s Redevelopment Agency and the state Coastal Commission. Those guidelines detailed development parameters and how the Coastal Act would be applied.

Since those buildings will be demolished, a Local Coastal Program Amendment and an amendment to the Planned Development District will be required. All of those entitlements must be approved by the City Council and/or the Coastal Commission.

In 2007, Medak estimated the total cost of the development at $2 billion to $2.5 billion. Outside investors are expected to be involved, but not until closer to construction.

“Skip (Keesal) and Molina own all the property, which is huge,” Medak said. “When we have the entitlements, we will have something to take to investors.”

Parking for the new property is planned to be terraced and semi-subterranean, Medak said, with as many as four levels in some places. The buildings will be environmentally friendly, with at least a silver LEED rating, and will meet all seismic standards. The buildings will be based on concrete mats to combat the liquification issues found at waterfront building sites.

The amendment to the Local Coastal Plan will go before the City Council sometime in May, according to senior planner Jeff Winklepleck. Assuming approval there, the plan then would go to the state Coastal Commission.

“After that, the developer would pick one of the alternatives to pursue,” Winklepleck said. “We could see something in plan check by mid-2011.”

[CityKid]

No need to put the whole article, but according to the Press Telegram (http://www.presstelegram.com/ci_14733551), the local Japanese fusion chain of restaurants, Octopus, will be opening a new location at the former site of Wasabi on Pine Ave. The owner hopes to open the doors as soon as April. The concept sounds frighteningly similar to Wokcano. Competition, anyone?

[CityKid]

I just came across an episode of Inside Long Beach that does a good job of putting some of the bigger projects that are in the works into perspective. It includes a helicopter tour of some of the locations. You can watch it by clicking here. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXPNZgqRfV4) The overview begins at 1:55.

[CityKid]

Gallery 421, the new development under construction in the West Gate area, has a new website now showing floor plans, photos, and renderings. (http://www.lyongallery421.com/) I stopped by and took some photos of the construction site, but the cable to upload the photos to my computer is in NY. I'll have to upload them and do a photo update later. The sales office is currently located on the corner of Broadway and Magnolia in the new development.

[CityKid]

Photos taken by me on April 2nd.

Broadway and Chestnut:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2754/4488771268_8d0dd53751_b.jpg

Down Broadway from Magnolia:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2752/4488121881_785ea0e0f7_b.jpg

The new sales office on Broadway and Magnolia:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2788/4488772374_39520d0834_b.jpg

Looking north down Magnolia from Broadway:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4488122595_4457ca3ae2_b.jpg

Magnolia and 3rd Street:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4014/4488773556_cf6742ffb0_b.jpg

Down Chestnut from 3rd Street:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4488121173_876bfb02c4_b.jpg

You can see in the last photo evidence that they will start the landscaping of the sidewalk soon. It looks like things are almost done!

[FlyBono24]

Does anyone know the pricing at that place?


BTW I just closed on my condo at Blu. :banana:

[CityKid]

Does anyone know the pricing at that place?


BTW I just closed on my condo at Blu. :banana:

The units will be available for rent. According to their Facebook page, 1 & 2 bedroom units start out in the mid-$1500s.

[FlyBono24]

The units will be available for rent. According to their Facebook page, 1 & 2 bedroom units start out in the mid-$1500s.

That's not bad. Camden Harbor is a complete ripoff, I think it was in the $2000/mo territory for a ONE bedroom last time I checked. :koko:

[CityKid]

This is exactly what downtown needs! I can't wait for this place to open. :banana: :banana: :banana:

From www.presstelegram.com:


A place for the faithful
Creator and owner of Long Beach pub hopes it'll entice a congregation.
By Karen Robes Meeks, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/04/2010 10:19:52 PM PDT


http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site204/2010/0404/20100404_111547_pb05-ale_500.jpg
Travis Ensling, owner and operator of Congregation Ale House, which will open this summer, says his success as a restaurateur is based on creating restaurants and pubs that would draw him as a customer. (Diandra Jay, Staff Photographer)

LONG BEACH — Something's brewing downtown and Travis Ensling hopes consumers will congregate around it.

This summer, the Long Beach resident plans to open Congregation Ale House, the first of several specialty pub "chapters" in California.

"It's the first site of a huge idea," the 40-year-old said, his voice echoing in the 2,900-square-foot ground floor space of the Insurance Exchange building, for which he signed a 15-year lease.

Congregation will feature decor inspired by Trappist monasteries and offer nearly 40 ales on tap and more than 150 different bottled beers ranging from domestic and microbrews from the Northwest to Japanese rice beers and Belgian and English ales. The pub will be outfitted with a beer engine to pump cask conditioned ales, temperature-controlled wine dispensers and even high-tech coasters to keep customer's brews cold.

The space would include a jukebox playlist that ranged from Frank Sinatra to Jane's Addiction, and long wooden tables that seat at least six.

"Doesn't make sense to have (tables for two) at a place called Congregation," he said. "It's about getting everyone together."

Congregation will also offer scotches, vodkas, 10 different wines by the glass and a grill menu featuring Belgian-style fries made in-house, 10 to 12 kinds of sausage, burgers, flatbreads, salads, desserts and a cheese plate to complement the wine program.

"You could come here 150 times in a row and have something completely different," Ensling said.

The San Gabriel Valley native — who just moved downtown with his wife — opened his first restaurant at 26, Cafe Mundial in Monrovia.

He set out to build his favorite place at the time, "a tablecloth restaurant" with full-service bar and a wine list of more than 100 different bottles.

"It's a fun business," he said. "There's so many things happening all the time that there's always something new with it. And I love the restaurant business and the service aspect of creating an atmosphere where you can hang out."

He owned Cafe Mundial for nine years, expanding the business twice before someone offered to buy it five years ago.

After the sale, Ensling decided to take some time off. He traveled the world, lived in Argentina and earned his pilot's license.

When he returned to the states, he managed Lucky Baldwins British Pub & Cafe in Pasadena for two years.

"I really liked where I was working but I had a vision for a pub that was a little different," Ensling said.

He envisioned a pub inspired by his changing tastes, "pouring for the masses" in a clean, modern space that tips a glass to the European monasteries in which Trappist monks brew ale as a source of income.

Ensling pitched it to a former Cafe Mundial customer, who chose to invest in not only one pub but a franchise.

"There's so much room in that name to do so many things to be creative," he said, adding that he's also opening Congregation Ale House chapters in Huntington Beach and Irvine.

Ensling wanted to open his first in Long Beach because of its busy lunch crowd and student population.

"The demographic was perfect," he said. "It's a huge city that does not have a specialty pub. We're really excited about being here."

Ensling hopes to attract more than ale aficionados.

"Our customers are people who would ever be into what I'm into, and I go everywhere," he said. "I like all places, from the cheesy Budweiser places `cause they've got a killer slice of pizza all the way to places that serve foie gras."

And like his first restaurant, Ensling will set out to "build my favorite place," he said. "And hopefully it sticks with a lot of people."

Congregation Ale House is at 201 E. Broadway. Call 562-432-BEER (2337) or visit Congregation Ale House's Web site for more information.

karen.robes@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1303

[CityKid]

Does anyone else think that the parking lot in between the Broadlind and the building that houses Utopia on Linden between Broadway and 1st St is begging for development? I read on the Lafayette condo website (http://www.thelafayettelb.org/history.html) under history that circa 2004, Lafayette residents began to purchase parking spaces from a lot "across the street" and that it was to be redeveloped into a 4 story condo with ground floor retail and subterranean parking. Anyone know anything else about that?

[CityKid]

The LA Times (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2010/04/apartments-rental-senior-housing-rents.html) is reporting that the mix-used development at Long Beach Blvd and Anaheim is supposed to break ground in September. Click here to see renderings at LA Curbed (http://la.curbed.com/archives/2010/04/artsy_seniors_and_younger_folks_coming_to_long_beach_blue_line_stop.php).

[CityKid]

There is a great video over at Streetfilms (http://www.streetfilms.org/long-beach-shifts-cycling-in-to-high-gear/) that outlines all of the infrastructure improvements for bicyclists that have happened or will happen in the coming months. It's exciting times for bicyclists in the LBC.

[JDRCRASH]

:banana::banana::banana:

$1 billion Golden Shore Master Plan approved by Long Beach City Council

By Paul Eakins, Staff Writer

Posted: 04/21/2010

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site204/2010/0421/20100421__PN22-GOLdenshore_500.JPG


LONG BEACH - A massive, $1 billion development that would change the face of downtown over the course of a decade won approval night.

The City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to amend the Local Coastal Program and the Downtown Shoreline Planned Development District to allow the mixed-use project known as the Golden Shore Master Plan. The council also voted to send the matter to the California Coastal Commission, which must sign off on the land use changes.

The project site south of Ocean Boulevard and bordered by Shoreline Drive on the west and south isn't zoned for the planned use. The location is currently home to City National Bank, Union Bank and Molina Healthcare, all three of which would be demolished.

The project is a joint venture of Molina Healthcare and the Keesal, Young & Logan law firm, who own the property, and is headed up by developer George Medak.

The ambitious development may take one of three possible forms, although the biggest difference is one element being only residential or also including a hotel. The plan is organized around pedestrian-oriented places and open areas.

Whatever form it takes, the Golden Shore project could include any of the following: a maximum of 1,370 residential condominiums, 340,000 square feet of office space, 28,000 square feet of retail space, a 400-room hotel, 27,000 square feet of conference and banquet facilities, and up to 3,430 parking spaces.

In March, the Planning Commission approved the environmental impact report for the development, which is expected to take eight to 10 years to complete. Assuming the Coastal Commission signs off on the plan, the Planning Commission will still have to approve individual building designs and other aspects of the project as it advances.
Most council members stood firmly behind the project Tuesday for the merits of the development as well as for the jobs it will create. Medak told the council that at its peak, the Golden Shore construction will create 2,200 jobs.
"This is an opportunity to really remake the Long Beach skyline, and we don't get many projects like this," 1st District Councilman Robert Garcia said.

Medak said Wednesday that both companies, whose owners have longtime Long Beach connections, want to create a high-quality development. He explained that the development group is embarking on the undertaking during a recession in preparation for better economic times.

"If we waited for good times to embark on a project like this ... by the time we got through the entitlement process, the good times might be gone," Medak said.

Garcia said that although for some people "density" is a scary word, he is excited by the development's density, particularly the residential element.
"I think for our downtown to really succeed, we've got to have more people," Garcia said.

He and other council members asked what kind of fees and public amenities would be required of the developers. City management said those stipulations would be placed on the project as each element goes to the Planning Commission, but would include costs such as parks and recreation impact fees and transportation impact fees.

There would also be offsite improvements to pedestrian walkways on Ocean Boulevard and Golden Shore Street, and Medak said the project near the mouth of the Los Angeles River would improve public access to the waterfront.

Medak said Wednesday it will be a while before work begins.

Getting Coastal Commission approval could take as long as five or six months, he said, after which he would take the first building plans to the city perhaps six months later. In 1 1/2 years, demolition on the first building in line - the Molina Healthcare offices, which are to be replaced with a 19-story office tower that would be the company's new home - could begin, Medak said.

Because of inflation and the decade-long development process, the project's total cost "will be a little in excess of a billion dollars," Medak estimated.

Third District Councilman Gary DeLong asked city staff Tuesday to streamline the approval process where possible.

"Let's see if we can remove as many obstacles and impediments as we possibly can," DeLong said.

paul.eakins@presstelegram.com

Source:http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_14930909

[CityKid]

:previous: I haven't seen any renderings since those released in 2007ish. I would love to see some, but I guess they don't have any? Or they haven't decided to release any until they decide which design they go for?

[Truth789]

FlyBono welcome to Downtown! :yes:

I'm so stoked for Congregation Ale House to open, it looks awesome!

Anyone see construction going on for La Creperie and Kress Market?

Octopus is now open so come on down to the restaurant, it looks nice!

Gallery 421 is looking very good and can't wait to see Vons pop up.

Nothing new to report but these improvments including the Art Exchange are huge for the area!

[FlyBono24]

Well Fresh & Easy still wasn't open last I checked... however, it's been visibly empty for MONTHS now with nothing inside, but just in the last few weeks they put up boards over the windows... so maybe (hopefully) they are in there working on it.

[CityKid]

I saw construction going on at Kress Market a couple weeks back:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2709/4488770326_b3259a0579_b.jpg

I walked by La Creperie a week or so ago and didn't see much going on. They have this sign up, though:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4566198497_014d78017d_b.jpg

[Truth789]

Very good news for the East Arts District.....

District Wine opened up a week ago.

It is on 145 Linden.

I was there last night...

It is a Wine Bar with Flat Bread Pizza, Different Kind of Cheeses etc...

www.districtwine.com

I feel like the East Arts District is finally turning around!

;)

[dragonsky]

Long Beach Airport moves ahead with improvement project
The plan to modernize the facility while preserving its Art Deco design and popular qualities has satisfied community groups and city leaders who scaled back earlier proposals.
By Dan Weikel, Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times
May 4, 2010

After years of controversy and a court battle involving local schools, the Long Beach Airport is moving ahead with a $136-million improvement project designed to modernize the facility without sacrificing its historic Art Deco terminal or reputation among travelers for convenience.

The project also satisfies community groups and city leaders who worked to scale back earlier proposals, which they feared would have weakened the city's noise ordinance that limits commercial and commuter flights at the airport because of surrounding residential neighborhoods.

Plans call for a new 1,989-space parking structure, ramp improvements and a concourse with a central garden and 11 gates that will replace the temporary trailers where travelers now wait for flights. About $2 million will be spent to refurbish the old terminal, which was built in 1941 and declared a historic landmark by the city decades later.

The project, however, will retain the open-air feeling of the current terminal complex, and passengers will still walk across the tarmac when boarding or leaving their planes. Baggage claim also will be partially enclosed as it is today.

"It will be pleasantly unlike other airports," said Mario Rodriguez, airport director. "Passengers will enter through a vintage terminal and pass into a modern concourse, all in a low-stress environment."

The parking structure, which will replace two surface lots and the airport's remote lot, is underway. After the City Council approves the final design in June as expected and contracts are awarded, work on the concourse and terminal improvements could begin by year's end. Everything should be completed in 2013.

"The project is designed to meet the needs and demands of our passengers," said Sharon Diggs-Jackson, an airport spokeswoman. "We want to keep it simple and efficient."

Long Beach Airport, which has been owned by the city since 1923, handles about 3 million commercial passengers a year, served by six airlines. The airfield is also popular among private pilots, commuter services and corporate jet operators, which account for about 300,000 takeoffs and landings annually.

The airport is known for its terminal, easy access by car and convenience for travelers who can usually get through check-in and security substantially faster than at Los Angeles International Airport or other major airports in the region.

Passengers say they welcome the new concourse and improvements as long as they don't lead to an increase in passengers or interfere with what makes the airport so attractive.

"We love this airport. It actually makes travel pleasurable," said Marlene Meng of San Pedro, who was there last week to pick up her grandsons and daughter. "They could use some new facilities. The airport is sort of a throwback."

The plan for the terminal and concourse will almost double the complex to about 74,000 square feet. Officials say the work will be financed with bonds sold to investors and the debt will be paid off over time with fees charged to airlines and passengers.

Officials at JetBlue Airways, which established its West Coast hub in Long Beach, said they were glad that the airport was finally proceeding with the project. Citing frustration with a lack of improvements, the discount airline indicated in April 2009 that it might cease operations at the airport.

"We had expressed our concerns earlier. The city has now really started to move forward. The parking structure is going full speed ahead," said Rich Smyth, vice president of corporate real estate for JetBlue. "We still have some things to work out, but there is nothing significant."

Earlier options for the project called for a much larger terminal complex: 133,000 square feet. But the proposals ran into opposition from community groups, who feared that the larger projects would encourage more flights and prompt attempts to weaken the city's noise ordinance.

Under the measure, commercial flights are now capped at 41 per day and commuter flights at 25. Today, the commercial slots are filled, and 16 commuter slots remain vacant.

In 2006, the Long Beach Unified School District joined the dispute when it filed a lawsuit alleging that the city's environmental analysis for the project was flawed and that dozens of schools would be affected by noise.

Two years later, a Superior Court judge upheld the city's environmental impact report, which concluded that the project would not affect noise and air quality.

Because of community concerns and the severe economic downturn in the airline industry, city officials steadily reduced the scale of the proposal to its current size.

"It's fabulous. It's the compromise everyone was hoping to reach," said Long Beach City Councilwoman Rae Gabelich, who opposed earlier versions of the project. "It serves the airlines, the project better represents the city, and it respects the noise ordinance that protects the community."

[LAMetroGuy]

The Pike's New GM
Looks At Center Improvements

By Sean Belk
Staff Writer

Coming out of a recession and a shaky commercial real estate climate, Jeff Miyaoka hopes to overcome hurdles with renewed optimism as the new general manager for The Pike at Rainbow Harbor in Downtown Long Beach.

"Since I've gotten here, we've been doing a lot of listening and a lot of talking to tenants and businesspeople in the area about the center and things we can improve," he said. "I think the future for The Pike is good. Certainly with the economic situation improving, we're starting to see more tenant interest than in the last couple of years."

As an "iconic" tourist attraction during such events as the Grand Prix and happenings at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, The Pike strives to build a reputation as an entertainment and dining mecca, he said.

The Pike encompasses 369,000 square feet between the convention center and the Aquarium of the Pacific, along with waterfront restaurants along Shoreline Drive.

The center has recently seen new additions such as the seven-story, 128-room AVIA Hotel, which was opened last year by Kansas-based LodgeWorks L.P. The company is also planning a new hotel called Sierra Suites across from the AVIA.

But the March 30 departure of GameWorks, which had been a draw for the site, along with the celebrity-touted Long Beach Clothing Company, came as a blow to surrounding tenants and the developer, Miyaoka said. GameWorks, owned by Sega Enterprises, had been a major tenant since 2003.

"I think GameWorks is a great venue, especially here at this location. It was very popular," he said. "But unfortunately, large companies, through restructures, do what they need to do. Several locations closed on that day. We are very concerned about it. We're working very hard to find another operator and another venue for that space as soon as possible."

Developers Diversified Realty Corporation (DDR), the Ohio-based owner, property manager and developer of The Pike, now focuses on opportunities for new replacements, possibly sometime this year.

"I'm encouraged that we have some interest in space and hope to be able to announce something in the coming weeks on that," Miyaoka said. "We have had interest in the space recently."

DDR, a fully integrated real estate investment trust (REIT), entered into a ground lease agreement with the city in May of 2002, where the city owns the land while the property management firm leases out space to tenants.

The company's lease with the city lasts 66 years, with a rent of $1,522,500 per year, less annual rent credits, according to Victor Grgas, the city's property services bureau manager.

Overseeing day-to-day operations at The Pike, Miyaoka said his job is to act as a "voice of the tenants," bringing together relationships between businesses, surrounding developments, the city and the developer. The heavy tourist traffic during festivities and events scheduled throughout the year can be a hurdle in itself, he said.

"Sometimes [there can be] challenges, which requires us to be very communicative and collaborative with our stakeholders, partners and landlords to understand what's happening in the area and do our best to facilitate that," he said. "I think that partnership and that collaboration is absolutely essential to provide the best venue and quality for the visitors that come here."

Since The Pike was redeveloped, he said, the goal was always to become a premier dining and entertainment center, which is different than other shopping destinations in the city.

"That doesn't mean that we won't have any retail here at the center," Miyaoka said. "It just might be a different type of retail, something that is more impulse-related, something that caters more towards the visitors who frequent this center. It's not to say retail is not part of the mix. It's just maybe something different than a traditional mall or apparel-based shopping center."

Miyaoka was hired in March, about the same time The Pike welcomed its newest tenant, Hooter's restaurant, which has been widely received, he said.

"Hooter's is doing great. They're very, very pleased," Miyaoka said. "And in fact, they set a regional record on Grand Prix weekend in sales. They bring new life to that part of the center, which is very important for us."

The state-of-the art, 14-screen Cinemark Theater is another attractive tenant and one of The Pike's main anchors, along with The Laugh Factory, which has brought renowned comedy acts to town. The Pike also regularly works with the Long Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau to attract more tourists, conventioneers and business.

From a design perspective, Miyaoka said, the bridge walkway brings back the historic days of The Pike's original concept as home to the famous Cyclone Racer. The waterfront restaurants and patios provide stunning views. But other features, such as the second-level space, might be more difficult to market.

"Multilevel centers like this can sometimes be a challenge," he said. "That second level is not always a great space for retail, although it can be a great space for other types of uses, such as services or even office spaces. But overall, I think the center has a great location here on Shoreline."

In the coming months, DDR will improve parking, which some patrons have criticized over the years. A city-owned parking structure will include upgrades to valet operations, and parking capacity to make the area more convenient, he said.

"Parking is something that has sometimes been a challenge, and we are looking at some improvements," Miyaoka said. "We're in the final stages of an exhaustive study and some planning that will result in some physical and technological improvements to both the surface lot and the parking structure."

Miyaoka's past experience includes working as a senior director of property management at Kimco Realty Corporation. He has held similar roles with The Irvine Company Retail Properties and Madison Marquette Retail Services, developers of other mixed-use properties such as the Irvine Spectrum

Founded in 1965 as Developers Diversified Group, DDR was formed in February 1993 when the principals took the company public and began operating as a REIT. The company acquires, develops, renovates, leases and manages retail and office properties. It owns and manages about 640 retail operating and development properties, totaling about 153 million square feet of leasable space, in 44 states, Brazil, Canada and Puerto Rico.


Source: Long Beach Business Journal

[dragonsky]

Expanded hospital opens at Calif. aquarium
By SUE MANNING (AP) – 11 hours ago
The Associated Press

LONG BEACH, Calif. — They don't cry, cough or run a fever, so how can you tell when a fish is sick?

You watch them, because you have to find them before you can fix them, explained Aquarium of the Pacific veterinarian Lance Adams, who is also known as a "wet vet" or "aqua doc."

Adams heads a team of about 50 aviculturists, mammalogists and aquarists who care for 11,000 fish, birds, mammals and reptiles at the aquarium, located about 25 miles south of Los Angeles.

The smallest of the animals, like baby sea horses, can weigh less than a gram, while the largest, like the California sea lion, can weigh more than 550 pounds.

The Molina Animal Care Center, a $5.5 million expansion that gives the aquarium a 14,000 square-foot hospital, opened Friday and gives the staff new space, new technology and a new audience.

The center will be one of only a few aquarium hospitals in the country where visitors can watch as animals are examined and treated, and it may be the only one that allows people to watch surgeries as they are performed, said Steve Feldman, a spokesman for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, based in Maryland.

The aquarium is also opening a remodeled sea otter habitat, named after the oil giant BP, which donated $1 million for its development four years ago. The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico dimmed the park's salute to the new otter home, but aquarium executives said the company's name would not be stripped from the attraction.

This summer, a live feed will be hooked up and aquarium surgeries will be broadcast to the local children's hospital so patients and their parents can watch. The idea is to let kids know they are not alone and give them a chance to ask Adams questions about the surgeries.

"It is truly state-of-the-art in terms of the equipment and facilities, but as importantly, it allows visitors and kids to really learn something about how we care for these creatures and it does it through a number of innovative methods. The openness and the transparency is a really unique feature of this facility," Feldman said.

Not every surgery will be successful. "Because they are wild and we are restraining the animals, there is always a chance something could go wrong," Adams said. "The animal could get overstressed and die. We do what we can to prevent it but if something happens we just have to explain it to the kids."

Beyond the surgeries for sick animals, there will be the cosmetic surgeries, Adams said.

If a sea lion breaks a tooth, a sawfish loses its rostrum or a shark's eye is gouged out, cosmetic surgery is needed to return the animal to its exhibit at the aquarium, Adams said. "We try to maintain the normal appearance of the animals."

They don't do elective surgeries like enhancements or facelifts. And they've never done a transplant or installed a pacemaker at the aquarium, although "it's only a matter of time until a case comes up."

Caretakers work to prevent problems, constantly monitoring environments, water quality and food. And always watching the animals.

Some of the things they look for in fish:

_ If a fish gets itchy, it will start scratching by rubbing against things like rocks. It probably has an external parasite that lives on the skin, he said.

_ Fish putting on weight. The biologists might switch diets or change the number of times some fish are fed. But there is a limit, Adams said, "because you feed to the weakest or most sensitive" fish in a tank.

_ Aging fish can have problems like renal failure, respiratory problems, thickening tissue and decreased activity.

_ Fish breath can tell caretakers a lot. Some halitosis is normal in aquatic animals because they eat raw fish so have bacteria in their mouths. But if it's caused by a tooth absess or pneumonia, the smell turns bad or rotten and alerts the biologists that something is wrong.

Adams visits a lot of schools and a lot of students visit the aquarium. How to identify a sick animal is the most often asked question.

"They want to know if I get grossed out by the blood, don't I think it is disgusting," Adams said.

They ask what happens when the animals die, if the others eat them, if they are buried. He tells them dead fish are removed from the tank, refrigerated until a necropsy can be done, then frozen and turned over to a rendering service. "We don't refeed any of the animals."

Adams usually gets a personal question too, about part of a finger he's missing on his left hand. "Was it bitten off by a shark?" they want to know.

"No," he tells them, but he's never sure they believe him.

Rw4vzEVoJIw

[Truth789]

This new development isn't in Downtown but it is going to be a very good change to make another part of town nice!

It's called the Coronado and it is being constructed on Atlantic and 20th Street.... and it looks like a quality development unlike those Olive Condos on Long Beach blvd

http://bkf.brookfieldsouthland.com/bkf/newhomes/intro.asp?CommunityID=atl

http://bkf.brookfieldsouthland.com/bkf/newhomes/intro.asp?CommunityID=atl

[CityKid]

From The Press-Telegram/Contra Costa Times (http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15304000):

Gaucho Grill to offer Argentinian cuisine in downtown Long Beach
By Karen Robes Meeks. Staff Writer
Posted: 06/16/2010 01:24:07 AM PDT
Updated: 06/16/2010 01:24:17 AM PDT

LONG BEACH - This fall, Long Beach resident Adrian Amosa is bringing Argentinian fare to downtown.

Gaucho Grill will open for lunch and dinner starting in September at 200 Pine Ave., next door to the new Octopus Restaurant at Broadway and Pine, Amosa said Tuesday.

The restaurant, known for its asado skirt steaks and chicken chimichurri, will take over the 2,500-square-foot space formerly occupied by Aladdin Grill & Cafe, which closed in April. The site can accommodate 60 people inside and at least 40 people on the patio.

Amosa, who also owns the Gaucho Grill in Brentwood, said he had always been looking at Long Beach as a second location, especially for what he calls a "new era" for the franchise.

"I think Long Beach is key in our new plan," said Amosa, who moved to Long Beach from Argentina in 2002. "We are actually relaunching Gaucho Grill. We are putting more energy in the kind of food (that has) more traditional flavors, we're working on a lot of combinations with wine and everything will be a little more modern as well."

"I know that the downtown is going through the same kind of renovation and redevelopment that we are doing with the Gaucho Grill brand. I think we are going through the same path and I fell in love with that."

karen.robes@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1303

[CityKid]

I tried to get a photo update of some of the businesses opening up around downtown (Congregation Ale House, Gaucho Grill, La Creperie, Kress Market) but they all had things blocking the windows! I guess they want to surprise us. I did stop by Gallery 421, though.

Along Chestnut:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1418/4726305433_c6c253cbd5_b.jpg

Broadway and Chestnut:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1105/4726305607_d573ec1a74_b.jpg

Streetscape along Chestnut:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1052/4726951924_7a0be25261_b.jpg

Facade along Broadway. Would this be part of the retail space?
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1102/4726952076_5e7f25b349_b.jpg

Leasing center on the corner of Broadway and Magnolia:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1312/4726306361_0309467ed6_b.jpg

Streetscape along Broadway:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1128/4726952618_6b23bcf52e_b.jpg

Putting the finishing touches along Magnolia:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1429/4726306751_a86c5b5bc4_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1110/4726306945_80795dd105_b.jpg

Still have to rebuild the sidewalk along 3rd St:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1386/4726307159_8fbbb678e2_b.jpg

A defunct street sign along 3rd St:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1386/4726953368_0fba5b0692_b.jpg

The police station borders the development to the south, and the new state courthouse will eventually border it to the west.

I also walked by the new green space dubbed Promenade Square at 1st and the Promenade. It's scheduled to open in July 2010. I kind of had to strain to get these shots over the fence. This was the best I could do.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1182/4726953560_a21d1c45b3_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1413/4726307875_431d51ff55_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1072/4726954156_620dc56626_b.jpg

[CityKid]

The State of California chose the winning design today for the new courthouse in Long Beach. This from the Press Telegram (http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_15394326):

LONG BEACH -- Long Beach Judicial Partners -- a consortium led by Meridiam Infrastructure -- has been chosen to design, fund, operate and maintain Long Beach's new downtown courthouse when it opens in 2013.

After months of deliberating, the state's Administrative Office of the Courts selected Long Beach Judicial Partners from one of three teams competing for a "performance-based infrastructure arrangement," in which the state will enter into a 35-year service agreement with the team and make payments based on the success of the building's operation and maintenance.

Long-term equity fund Meridiam Infrastructure led the development of LBJP's proposal, according to the state, adding that LBJP will raise all of the financing required to finish the project.

The LBJP consortium includes AECOM, which will be the architect/engineer; Clark Construction Group, LLC, will provide construction management; Edgemoor Real Estate Services Commercial will provide real estate services; and Johnson Controls Inc., which will provide facilities management, operation, and maintenance.

The state and consortium will need to get final approval for the service agreement from the state's Department of Finance in the next several weeks.

Long Beach Judicial Partners, Lankford Phelps and Balfour Beatty Capital were finalists competing to create a new 6-acre, state-owned courthouse bordered by Broadway, Magnolia Avenue, Third Street and Maine Avenue. The teams -- each made up of architects, builders, financiers and facility managers, -- submitted a two-part proposal outlining the design and financial and commercial feasibility of the project.

Several months ago, AECOM, the architect for Long Beach Judicial Partners that designed Loyola Marymount University's William Hannon Library and LAPD's new headquarters, envisioned a "low-rise scheme" that's in keeping with Long Beach's efforts to becoming a more walkable city.

The L-shape design would feature a four-story office and five-story court building and have a large, secured courtyard for a "Southern California feel." High-volume courtrooms would be on the first two levels and all courtrooms would be traditionally arranged with access to natural light. The jury assembly room on the fourth floor would include an outdoor area.

The new courthouse will replace the more than 50-year-old building on 415 W. Ocean Blvd., which the state identified as one of the worst courthouses in California in terms of security, overcrowding and physical condition.

After five years of negotiations, state and city officials agreed to a land swap that will allow the state to give the 415 W. Ocean Blvd. property to the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency in exchange for the RDA-owned lot in the West Gateway area. The courthouse will remain open while the new one is being built.

When completed, the new courthouse will feature a 545,000-square-foot building with 31 civil and criminal courtrooms, 63,000 square feet of county office space, 9,200 square feet of retail space and a basement that will include a "sally port," or controlled-entry space, and an in-custody holding facility.

The new building will house about 800 workers and draw 3,500 to 4,500 visitors daily. The state also plans to remodel the Magnolia Avenue parking structure.

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site204/2010/0628/20100628__long_beach_judicial_partners_rendering_500.jpg


What does everyone think of the design?

[LAMetroGuy]

Not a fan of the design, I wish it was something more modern and taller... oh well!

Anyway, last night I noticed that city workers were removing the Looff's Lite A Line roof that has been sitting in the parking lot next to the Pike. I'm curious if they are just making more room for parking or the developer of OceanAire is getting started on the project????

[JDRCRASH]

This building kinda reminds me of the new LAPD HQ downtown.

[SantaCruzGuy]

Not a fan of the design, I wish it was something more modern and taller... oh well!

Anyway, last night I noticed that city workers were removing the Looff's Lite A Line roof that has been sitting in the parking lot next to the Pike. I'm curious if they are just making more room for parking or the developer of OceanAire is getting started on the project????



There is an article on Press Telegram that makes it seem as if the developer is clearing it to build... Does anyone know more about this?

[luvLBC]

Just read Press Telegram about the Looff's and clear the way for new condo.

[LAMetroGuy]

Kitchen Den Bar to open in former GameWorks space at Pike
By Karen Robes Meeks, Staff Writer
Posted: 06/30/2010 04:31:48 PM PDT

LONG BEACH - Former GameWorks executives this summer will launch a new restaurant and entertainment concept at the Pike at Rainbow Harbor, resuscitating the large downtown space GameWorks occupied for nearly seven years before its abrupt closure in March.

Kitchen Den Bar is expected to open in the 40,000-square-foot space in mid-August, Pike general manager Jeff Miyaoka said Wednesday.

"It certainly complements our existing dining and entertainment venues at the Pike," he said. "We're very pleased to be able to fill this space so quickly, and we're just very excited to have it reopen this summer."

Miyaoka said the new business will move away from the arcade concept and focus more on entertainment with a homey feel.

"In this case, there's going to be a great emphasis on comfortable, family-friendly entertainment environment that offers good food, a great bar and a great time.

The Kitchen will feature a 180-seat dining area and outdoor patio and serve up home-style menu items such as barbecue, gourmet pizzas and pastas, burgers, sandwiches and salads.

KDB's main feature, The Den's 20,000 square feet of space, will feature a bowling alley and more than 130 attractions and interactive and top prize games.

In the middle of the gaming area will be a sleek sports bar where signature martinis and specialty drinks will be served.

The original GameWorks, which opened in November 2003, was one of the largest businesses anchoring The Pike, a 369,000-square-foot dining and entertainment center near the waterfront. GameWorks, which is owned and operated by Sega GameWorks Inc., shuttered March 29 as part of the company's decision to close several locations due to an organizational restructuring.

A GameWorks spokesman told the Downtown Gazette that the economy contributed to the "steady decline" in customers at the Long Beach location.

Enter Trifecta Management Group, a Southern California firm made up of GameWorks' executive management team and the strategic, operational and development brainchild behind the concept.

Trifecta manages venues in California, Florida, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio and Virginia. Projects include The Corner Alley, 4th Street Bar & Grill, which features "16 lanes of rock 'n bowling," two martini bars and restaurant; Zocalo Mexican Grill and Tequileria; and Montgomery Grill.

In 2005, the group also acquired and re-imagined Flannery's Pub, a neighborhood Irish pub and restaurant in downtown Cleveland.

Long Beach will be one of two KDB locations opening this summer, Miyaoka said.

"Having KDB here speaks to the Pike continuing to move forward despite the challenging economy," he said. "We look forward to the future."

Source: karen.robes@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1303

[CityKid]

New rendering of the downtown Vons currently under construction at Atlantic and Broadway from the PressTelegram (http://www.presstelegram.com/ci_15459428):

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site204/2010/0707/20100707__vonsrender_500.JPG

[CityKid]

More information on the Vista Street bicycle boulevard from the Contra Costa Times (http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15432670?nclick_check=1) via the Press Telegram:

LONG BEACH - In Kora Kroep's native Holland, bicycles are a way of life.

"We have more bicycle lanes than we have streets for cars," said Kroep, who left her homeland 20 years ago and now lives in Long Beach's Belmont Heights.

While it's unlikely that Long Beach residents will give up their cars anytime soon, the city has been undergoing a transportation transformation as officials create a more bicycle-friendly infrastructure.

The latest spoke in the wheel is happening right outside Kroep's front door, where to the avid cyclist's excitement the intersection of Vista Street and Ximeno Avenue is taking on a sort of Dutch aspect.

Workers began tearing up the intersection and others along Vista last week to create what Long Beach officials believe will be the first bike boulevard in Southern California.

"Bike boulevards are generally places where traffic is calmed and bicycles and pedestrians have preference," said Sumire Gant, transportation programs officer for the city. "Local traffic can use them, but through-traffic is more likely to go to another street."

The city is installing eight roundabouts at intersections along the 1.5-mile stretch of Vista from Temple Avenue to Nieto Avenue. Roundabouts force traffic to slow down, making intersections safer for bicycles and pedestrians.

Stop signs will be replaced with yield signs, and a narrow median will be installed on each street approaching the roundabouts to guide traffic and make crossing easier for pedestrians, Gant said.

The streets also will be narrowed at each intersection in what is called a "bulb-out," which also helps pedestrians. The bulb-outs and roundabouts will be landscaped with drought-tolerant plants, Gant said.

At Redondo Avenue, by far the busiest intersection along Vista, the city will install a traffic light, but not the usual kind.

The signal will have a bike-only traffic signal that allows bicycles to go straight across Redondo, while vehicles traveling on Vista will have to turn right, Gant said.

The $550,000 pilot program is funded by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Gant said. No city money was spent, and the funds could only be used for transportation, she said.

Vista was chosen because it parallels busier business corridors - Broadway and Fourth Street - and because two schools, Lowell and Rogers, are at one end; one, Horace Mann, is near the other end; and a fourth school, Fremont on Fourth Street, is near the middle of the route.

Since the project was initiated, Long Beach has received state and federal Safe Routes to School Funding as well, Gant said.

By this time next year, two more projects should be up and running, she said - one along Sixth Street from Junipero Avenue to Bellflower Boulevard, and the other along several streets from Chestnut Avenue downtown to 70th Street in North Long Beach.

Bicycle boulevards and roundabouts have been gaining in popularity in Northern California, and in Europe they are standard. Gant said that European cities have found that roundabouts improve road safety, and Long Beach officials have their own evidence to show that a little bicycle awareness can decrease traffic dangers.

In the first six months since Long Beach created the green-striped bicycle lanes along 2nd Street in Belmont Shore, known as "sharrows," there has been a 17 percent decrease in the number of cyclists riding on the sidewalk and 50 percent fewer accidents involving vehicles and bicycles, Gant said.

Kroep said that a safer roadway is what she hopes to see at her intersection, which has stop signs only on Vista and where traffic often flies down Ximeno.

"At least once a day there's almost an accident," she said.

One day, Kroep said she would like to see her new home of Long Beach look a little more like her native Holland, and it already seems to be on the way.

"I see definitely more people on bicycles, everywhere," Kroep said. "It's nice to see. I hope that one day no one will drive a car down Second Street."

paul.eakins@presstelegram.com, 562-499-127


No mention of the pilot program for the protected bicycle lanes alone 3rd Street and Broadway downtown, but I'm sure we'll hear more info on them soon. I'll have to go down to Vista Street and take some photos when I get a chance.

[CityKid]

The Press-Telegram (http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_15499008) had coverage of new developments that include affordable housing, and the article seems to be aimed at dispelling the myths of what affordable housing looks like. What was most interesting to me, of course, were the photo updates of projects.

The Long Beach and Burnett Apartments at 2355 Long Beach Blvd:
http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site204/2010/0712/20100712__PN13-HOUsing2_400.JPG
The developer of 2355 Long Beach Blvd., META Housing Corp., will also be in charge of the new senior housing development slated for construction at Anaheim and Long Beach Blvd.

The Coronado at Atlantic and 20th Street:
http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site204/2010/0712/20100712__PN13-HOUsing1_500.JPG

Hopefully I'll find time to photograph these too when I'm in Long Beach again.

[Truth789]

Also Long Beach Boulevard from Ocean to 10th is being gentrified and bike lanes are being installed on Broadway and Third between Golden and Olive Downtown.... that is supposed to start soon....

Can't Wait!

Also 2nd Street in Naples is being repaved.....

Many good things all across Long Beach :banana:

[CityKid]

I watched the latest episode of Inside Long Beach at the LBRDA website (http://www.longbeachrda.org/), and according to the Tony Shooshani, owner of City Place, they will be welcoming Fresh & Easy "sometime in November." He also said that this location would be Fresh & Easy's "flagship" for Long Beach.

[SaF9]

dude, digging that new Vons. Let's hope that sets a precedent for supermarkets around town.

[FlyBono24]

What happened to La Creperie? It was supposed to open in May but I haven't seen it... and their website only lists the 2nd Street location.

[ChrisLA]

What happened to La Creperie? It was supposed to open in May but I haven't seen it... and their website only lists the 2nd Street location.


The sign now says it will open in September, so it just been delayed.

[CityKid]

According to their Twitter page (http://twitter.com/KressMarket), the Kress Market opened its doors today. Their grand opening celebration will be on August 12th at 5pm. Anyone have a chance to check it out yet?

According to a wall post on their Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/people/Congregation-Ale-House/100000878863314) (you will have to be a friend to view it), Congregation Ale House is still hoping to open its doors toward the end of August.

A lot of exciting businesses opening downtown right now.

[ChrisLA]

I drove by two days ago, and although it look like it could open soon, I didn't think it would this week. They moved fast I guess.

[CityKid]

I went downtown for a nice stroll and took some pictures while I wandered.

The Kress Market & Deli is open:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4091/4845348568_829b9ec11c_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4109/4845349306_493e2782d2_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4133/4845349568_481f65d77e_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4113/4845349776_7ec3bdc2be_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4089/4844731591_6c1b924bb7_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/4845350696_f85366ec8f_b.jpg

Outdoor seating is now available for several eateries on Pine. Thank goodness! People might actually notice that there are businesses there.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4088/4845348334_f8a6c8e697_b.jpg

The Gaucho Grill is under construction and looks to be open in September 2010:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4146/4844729369_dc377e5e21_b.jpg

Congregation Ale House is starting to take shape. I must admit that I'm particularly excited to have them open soon:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4087/4844732071_e7429216b6_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/4845351150_981ddc00f3_b.jpg

Promenade Square is open:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4150/4845346972_36bc2974a2_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4152/4844728859_f5d3dcc417_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4086/4845347776_389f73cd74_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/4844728537_bd70e9b53a_b.jpg

Go Long Beach!

[ChrisLA]

Thanks CityKid, I might have to talk the wife and I to take a walk over to the market on Saturday to check it out. I'm really surprised how fast they opened after just going by the other day. I don't even remember seeing the rails for the patio area up.

Also I will probably go check out Promenade Square while we are out walking.

[CityKid]

I was downtown for the Summer and Music Festival and took some snaps of the new Vons going up at Broadway and Atlantic. It's really going to add to the urban fabric along Broadway.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4082/4851037012_87ffebf598_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/4850417913_2838241ae6_b.jpg



Go Long Beach!

[luvLBC]

Citykid, thanks for the great pictures of Pine and Promenade. I can't wait for the Vons to open soon. I hate to take a bus to go to Alberston on LB Blvd whenever I need small items. Newer Vons will be so much better with more variety of selections than the original store where items are limited.

[Bootstrap Bill]

I was downtown for the Summer and Music Festival and took some snaps of the new Vons going up at Broadway and Atlantic. It's really going to add to the urban fabric along Broadway.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4082/4851037012_87ffebf598_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/4850417913_2838241ae6_b.jpg



Go Long Beach!

Is there anything special about this Vons? Anything different?

[CityKid]

Is there anything special about this Vons? Anything different?

The previous Vons store was built in the 60s and had become seriously dilapidated or so I understand. The building occupied only half of the lot, the other half being dedicated to parking. Here are photos of the old building from Yelp. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/BSYKbWOr7TLGxQ1knJ6efg?select=YwVBWBnmKNSb4a7Qjbwl2Q)The new Vons will be twice is big with parking on the roof. There will be a wider selection of groceries, and I think even a Starbucks and bank located inside. On top of that, the new renovation has more of an urban feel. It will add to the urban fabric of the surrounding area. I'm not sure if that makes it "special" but--correct me if I'm wrong--it's the first major grocer to go with this type of design in Long Beach.