[LAMetroGuy]

I remember something about June/July ground breaking. They have first remove the Loof's roof.

[InsExchLoft_dweller]

I don't think street cars or buses are working that great. Light rail is the way to go... and hopefully it would be better planned then what Metro has done.

[drisee]

I would much rather see light rail as well but the issue LB faces is that it's hard to provide light rail for the entire city. since LB is so spread out streetcars would have a better chance of getting more routes so that you could cover the city as opposed to just providing some type of loop with light rail. then anyone that doesn't get connected with light rail starts to bitch and moan.

so ya, light rail would be my first choice but a well planned out street car system would be great as well. looks like it got approved last night so next step i think is the feasability study.

[LAMetroGuy]

City Council considers streetcars in L.B.
Main line proposed by Lowenthal would run east-west from CSULB to East Village Arts District.
By Don Jergler, Staff writer
Long Beach Press Telegram
Article Launched:

LONG BEACH - City Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal's proposal to look at building a streetcar system in Long Beach raised some objections, but not because people were opposed to the idea.
In fact, her proposal was unanimously approved, 5-0, during Tuesday's City Council meeting.

Lowenthal's fellow City Council members objected to the fact that she didn't include all of their districts in her proposal. Absent for the vote were Patrick O'Donnell, Tonia Reyes Uranga and Gary DeLong.

"I'd like to see it include the entire city," said Rae Gabelich, adding that her 8th District needs more mass-transit service. "The folks up north are getting a little tired of everything happening downtown."

Lowenthal's original proposal had sought a study to look at the feasibility of creating an east-west line that would include Cal State Long Beach, Long Beach City College, the East Village Arts District, Long Beach Memorial and St. Mary Medical Center.

The idea was to start with a spine and later add spokes to more points, said Lowenthal, who got the idea after a look at Portland's streetcar system.

Lowenthal agreed to modify her proposal to ask the city and Long Beach Transit to lay the groundwork for a streetcar study for the entire city.

A study would look at costs, feasibility and traffic and environmental impact. A later council vote would be required to actually approve such a project.

Many residents who spoke applauded Lowenthal for her creativity.

"This is a good first step; I'd like to see more," said local architect Jonathan Glasgow.

Phil Appleby, who helped start the East Village Arts District downtown, said the system would give the city "an opportunity to be a great urban environment."

Others stated their belief that a streetcar system would attract more city visitors.

"This project would pay for itself just through the tourist dollars alone," said resident Doug Bailey.

Lowenthal maintains that such a system could reduce traffic, alleviate parking problems and boost the city's economy.

"The real purpose is to encourage economic development throughout our city," Lowenthal said.

Also on Tuesday's agenda was a recommendation to approve requests for a site plan review for the Seaport Marina project on Second Street and Pacific Coast Highway.

The item was held for 60 days, and is expected to be heard on July 10.

The project, being undertaken by developer Lennar, would see the hotel torn down and replaced by 170,000 square feet of commercial space, 425 residential units and 1,700 parking spaces. The mixed-use development would be from three to five stories tall.

The development requires rezoning. Advocates of the development say it will improve the area aesthetically and economically.

Project opponents, who have an appeal pending that seeks to overturn Planning Commission approval of the project, say the development will worsen traffic at the busy intersection.

Don Jergler can be reached at don.jergler@presstelegram.com or (562) 499-1281.

[drisee]

in regards to the streetcar i really hope it runs to the airport as well. it would be great not having to drive there and drop a car. i take the train to LAX and it's great. just have to transfer onto a free bus. little ghetto with the people you ride with but it's a small price to pay.

as for the 2nd and PCH project i'm all for putting up a better option then the hotel but i'm more concerned with the overall look of the project as opposed to the parking issue. i just hope they push for something with architectural integrity not just some big box stucco solution. perhaps explore some various building materials, keep it green, make it look nice and progress the city instead of the same ol' crap like the city center in downtown or something. those projects totally set us back.

[drisee]

has anybody else heard anything about the oceanaire project not coming into fruition? i hear that it has the same thing happening to it that happened with edgewater. basically the developer is pulling the plug on his plans and looking to sell the project.

[regboi21]

Oh well but look on the bright side those two sites in the future might have much taller buildings built there someday well peace.

[mikedor]

I am a current resident of the Pine & 6th Condos building. Lately we have been getting flyers and information regarding a condo conversion happening in our building. As this proceeds, I will be posting info on what is happening here in our property. Also, I wanted to ask the group if they've ever lived through a condo conversion. I recently received my "first right of refusal" approval letter. Have any of you guys/gals ever bought a rental you lived in? What pitfalls, and benefits should I be on the lookout for? What are the "right" questions to ask the developer/property management? Doma is the new property management, and I can't recall who the developer is.

Any help or direction is greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Michael Kedor

[boi2socal]

Just spent Thursday evening in Downtown LGB. Was great to see a real downtown with dining, bars, etc. and all those conodo towers going up.

[LAMetroGuy]

has anybody else heard anything about the oceanaire project not coming into fruition? i hear that it has the same thing happening to it that happened with edgewater. basically the developer is pulling the plug on his plans and looking to sell the project.

I spoke with Michael Chious from Intergulf and he said that they plan to start building this summer and the project should be complete around summer of 2009. I'm not sure where you heard your information, care to share?

[LAMetroGuy]

I am a current resident of the Pine & 6th Condos building. Lately we have been getting flyers and information regarding a condo conversion happening in our building. As this proceeds, I will be posting info on what is happening here in our property. Also, I wanted to ask the group if they've ever lived through a condo conversion. I recently received my "first right of refusal" approval letter. Have any of you guys/gals ever bought a rental you lived in? What pitfalls, and benefits should I be on the lookout for? What are the "right" questions to ask the developer/property management? Doma is the new property management, and I can't recall who the developer is.

Any help or direction is greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Michael Kedor

In downtown LA, the Higgins building was a condo conversion, you might want to ask them.

[drisee]

I spoke with Michael Chious from Intergulf and he said that they plan to start building this summer and the project should be complete around summer of 2009. I'm not sure where you heard your information, care to share?

it was from someone on the planning dept for long beach. i was told they weren't sure, which is strange to me since i would think they would know. I really hope it's not true.

what is heard is that the city is having a hard time with developers that are buying up a property, going through the entitlement process and receiving full entitlement, then turning around to sell the project prior to developing. basically they're flipping the property because by that time it will be worth a lot more as a full entitled piece of land.

like i said though i hope this isn't what's happening with oceanaire but according to my source that is how it went down with the Edgewater project.

[drisee]

i'm not familiar with condo conversions but that sounds interesting. you're talking about the apts right above the where the recruiters used to be right? does that mean they would redesign them or how does that work. sorry as i'm not familiar with what the project entails. i assume they boot out the renters, redevelop the project and then sell the condos...is that how that works?

[mikedor]

i'm not familiar with condo conversions but that sounds interesting. you're talking about the apts right above the where the recruiters used to be right? does that mean they would redesign them or how does that work. sorry as i'm not familiar with what the project entails. i assume they boot out the renters, redevelop the project and then sell the condos...is that how that works?

yes, these apts are above the old recruiting offices... and renters have the first right of refusal for purchase by state law... the appeal of Pine is pushing north to this area, and i feel it would be a decent property to own as the new developments come in... namely, the Press-Telegram lofts(which will be kitty corner)... the developer is planning on refurbishing/rehabbing existing units... there are rumors of moving the building's offices to the Pine side of the building, and constructing a new gym for the building on that side as well... there has been no announcement of pricing projections, or whether or not current renters could take advantage of refurbishment plans... i received the minutes from the city council meeting regarding this project, and it seems that the only infrastructure the building lacks for the conversion is ample parking... i think there are plans to re-stripe the underground lot...

please let me know if you or anyone you know has lived through a condo conversion... i'd love to pique their brain...

Michael

[regboi21]

Do you all think that the future streetcar or light rail lines in long beach ca should have low floor light rail vehicals or like the ones that san francisco uses for the Muni railway.

[drisee]

i'm not familiar with the muni rail in SF but i know for long beach vision right now is for a streetcar, not light rail. so that would mean that it's a low floor system. it's my understanding that this makes it less expensive for the city to develop and easier for people in general because you don't have to build elevated stations. people just hop on and off at street level.

is that what you are asking about...not sure.

[drisee]

btw...i attended this meeting last night for the downtown visioning. vision is calling for density/compactness so that could be a good sign for future development.

they have a website that shows the presentation and place to comment. seems a like a good place to say a few words about supporting taller/cooler buildings for the downtown.

http://www.downtownlongbeachvision.com

[mikedor]

Here's an update on the Pine @ 6th condo conversion.

I received the first offer from the developer on Sunday. I have a 1BD 1BA unit with a loft at 774 sq ft. The offer is $425,000 without renovations, and $435,000 with renovations. This puts the cost per square foot at $562 which is more than $200 greater than the LB average of $345 (source: zillow.com).

I've been reading that developers usually get these types of conversions through the city planning commissions by painting them as an opportunity for renters to become first-time homeowners. But this offer on a 5/1 ARM mortgage would be $1100 more than my rent; hardly a first-time homeowner friendly jump.

It's difficult for me to understand the worth that the developer is placing in this building with a price like that. The walls are pretty thin, there's no pool, and the gym is laughable. Both Aqua and the City Place Lofts have comparable sq ft units at comparable prices, but they are brand new, and have much nicer accouterments and amenities.

I know I could form a renters association in the building and put pressure on the developer, but it doesn't seem worth it. I'm not in love with this place with it's cracked walls and ceilings, broken railings and crappy laundry facilities.

I just feel bad for the people that have lived here for a long time, and will be put out by this. Yeah, I'll probably have to move when my lease is up, unless I can low ball the developer. But I hardly think the price will go much lower than $375,000, and even that is above market worth.

Anyone know a good realtor?

Michael Kedor

[ChrisLA]

^

There is no way I would pay that kind of money for that apartment. You can purchase a two bedroom just up the street for less. I remember seeing one listed in the condo building at 8th and Pine for about that price on a 2 bed, 2 bath. Nothing is cheap now days, but you can still find something decent in downtown Long Beach for less than what these folks are asking.

[LAMetroGuy]

I agree, you can get something at the Temple Lofts for that price and they are all pretty big and nice layouts, etc.

[drisee]

i agree as well, 562 per sq foot is steep for DT Long Beach. I'm sure you could beat them up on that price as i don't imagine them having a lot of takers and they should have to come down.

did they also give you an idea of what changes they'll be making to the building's exterior? curious to know about that.

[LBDman449]

I was just down at the Pike. It's really dead. I know it's the middle of the week.... but we need something to draw people down there. Does anyone know if the city is trying to attract more businesses down there?

New to the boards
Dennis

[mikedor]

did they also give you an idea of what changes they'll be making to the building's exterior? curious to know about that.

They haven't yet announced what they will be doing with the exterior, but they own the retail spaces on Pine (former recruiting offices), however, on the corner they are building out a sales office.

[drisee]

I was just down at the Pike. It's really dead. I know it's the middle of the week.... but we need something to draw people down there. Does anyone know if the city is trying to attract more businesses down there?


hi dennis. i hate to say but i think the pike is so poorly designed that they should demo it and start over. possibly rethink the overall use of the space into something besides a crappy mini version of the block. our retail on pine, which is the heart of the city, suffers along with the pike, which just draws attention away from it. The pike is just a bad idea that shouldn't eat up any more resources from the city...they should put their resources into taking it down. i really don't know how you can save a spot like that and i don't think bringing more retailers to it will help.

would love to hear everyone elses thoughts on it. i just don't understand why you build a concept like that for a city environment. something like that makes sense for irvine or orange, that don't have major downtowns but for long beach it makes way more sense to build that into the framework of the city instead of trying to create this fake little world of shopping and entertainment.

[LB Life07]

I would've liked to see something like The Grove come to that area of long beach!! that would've been a much nicer fit for the city!!

[regboi21]

I dont think the new pike complex should be demolished and rebuilt cause it would be a waste of money to tear down a brand new complex but i think that whoever owns the new pike should do some improvments like getting rid of little streets that run through the pike and putting more benches eating areas,food and souvenirs kiosks and a huge fountain in the middle of the complex also a ampletheatre to make the pike more pedestrian friendly.


My website http://reggie21.ld.net

[LBDman449]

It just seems like there is too much of nothing going on down there; shoreline, the Pike, restaurant row, and the Queen Mary. It needs to be connected.

I even hate to go here but…. The architecture of the pike is down right ugly. The been there, done that stucco look, and “hip” southwestern colors is beyond boring.

Here’s what I think they should do with the Pike (not that anyone asked :)
Close off the streets
Add a trolley system linking shoreline, restaurant row and the QM….And even Pine Ave.
Add some sort of water feature(s)
Remodel some of the facades
Get another hotel built in the open space next to the bridge (I know one was “planned”)
And bring in some more places to eat. There are hundreds of other chain restaurants that we don’t have. Applebee’s anyone? (j/k)

And if that doesn’t work…… Tear it down and build condos. Those are pretty popular these days. LOL

[LAMetroGuy]

Downtown Visioning Plan
Paints Dramatic Future


By Kurt Helin
Editor

Taller buildings in a more compact downtown, but also an area with more public spaces and better public transportation. Then add embracing both the waterfront and the arts.

That, in broad strokes, is what the Downtown Visioning group saw when it peered into the area’s future. Or, at least, it’s what the group hopes to see.

And those ideas were a hit.

“It was a great start and showed creativity and out-of-the-box thinking,” said First District Councilwoman Bonnie Lowenthal, who saw the presentation several times.

Her council partner representing downtown, the Second District’s Suja Lowenthal, said the key is that everyone seems to be on the same page. That was especially true at a recent event, hosted by First Congregational Church, to show off the conceptual plans.

“It was the first time I felt the city and the residents were saying the same things about the direction of downtown,” she said.

Right now the visioning process lays out a potential future for downtown in very broad strokes, but ones that people like.

At the heart of those plans is a call for a true waterfront, urban downtown. Also is the idea of all of downtown being together, while there may be East Village or waterfront areas, all of downtown should be seen as one and it should be easy to get from one area to the other.

One of the key suggestions is to encourage bold and interesting architecture downtown, something some at a recent public meeting suggested has been lacking in recent projects. The goal is to create local icons, whether with private buildings or public spaces.

“There’s an attempt to brand Long Beach as a place with exciting architecture and public space,” Lowenthal said.

The report also suggested mixing restored historic buildings and funky new architecture, even next door to each other. The idea is that the two can coexist quite well side-by-side, something seen in other downtowns and even some recently-built baseball stadiums in San Diego and Baltimore.

Increasing public spaces — even small, green “pocket parks” —is also a central part of the plan. These urban green spaces could be on land next to tall development — rather than have a four-story building, have an eight-story building with a smaller footprint and use the rest of the land for park space. Another idea is to put green spaces on rooftops.

The idea is for downtown to “go up,” meaning taller buildings and a more “compact” downtown. Something more akin to New York or San Francisco (among many other cities), the report suggests.

Another goal is to attract creative and technology-based business to the downtown. The idea is to bring in companies that want to be in an urban environment and bring in good paying jobs.

At the same time, the report also seeks to encourage and grow the artists’ community and art businesses in the city.

One way to do that is to create a cultural district, likely around the recently remodeled Museum of Latin American Art. That is also an idea suggested in the visioning plan.

Other ideas include:

• Creating “gateway” entrances to downtown.

• Making sure there is attractive affordable housing.

• Promote “green building” methods and materials.

• Making downtown streets two way rather than one-way thoroughfares.

• Encourage convention and tourism business.

• Possibly redirect the Los Angeles River to clean the water coming into downtown.

• Activate the Los Angeles River.

• Establish links with California State University, Long Beach.

All of that puts a lot on the table, but the Second District’s Lowenthal thinks it can come together.

“I did see what they were presenting as doable,” she said. “Things like the greening of rooftops are creative ideas that could come together pretty quickly.”

There are more steps in the visioning process, representatives said.

Eventually any effort to make these grand plans a more concrete reality would have to go to the Planning Commission and eventually the City Council.

But in the short term, there remains a lot of agreement on the big picture future for downtown.

“I was very delighted with the plan,” Suja Lowenthal said. “They looked at a lot of the things I want to see and clearly other people do as well.”

[LAMetroGuy]

QM resort in the works
Developers plan ship refurbishing, tourist site similar to Universal City Walk.
By Wendy Thomas Russell, Staff writer
Long Beach Press Telegram
Article Launched:06/07/2007 11:35:19 PM PDT

LONG BEACH - A development team looking to refurbish the Queen Mary and create a theme resort on the surrounding 45 acres is one of the two top choices to be the next lease holder, the Press-Telegram has learned.
Led by Orange County developer Jeffrey S. Klein, the team consists of a number of real estate's heavy-hitters - including PBR, the primary developer for Disneyland Paris. The team also includes Hix Rubenstein, a company that specializes in high-end golf course resorts and marinas, and the powerful The Carlyle Group, an investment firm based in Washington, D.C.

No development team has been chosen for the Queen Mary site, and plans are preliminary at best, but Klein confirmed Thursday that his group - which now calls itself Save The Queen LLC - has been working with the city to help resolve a bankruptcy case involving the ship's current lease holder.

Klein said his team envisioned the project as a theme resort with hotels, a marina and a bay club, in addition to a mixed-used development he likened to Universal Studios City Walk.

Also, he said, developers are prepared to refurbish the art deco ship to the tune of some $22 million - with $5 million provided immediately - and build the infrastructure needed to make the site more easily accessible to downtown Long Beach.

"We feel very strongly that we are the group that is very long-term oriented," Klein said, "and our approach would be something that would be first-class down there."

The ambitious proposal comes amid a contentious and complicated bankruptcy case involving Queen's Seaport Development Inc., the company that has leased the city-owned ship for the last 14 years.

Last year, a Chapter 11 bankruptcy trustee was named to resolve a number of QSDI's legal disputes and to identify a buyer to take over the Queen Mary and develop the land around it.

The trustee, Howard Ehrenberg, decided on an auction-style sale, now set for Aug. 14, and accepted an opening bid of $41 million from O&S Holdings, a Los Angeles firm headed by the founder of Kinko's copy centers.

O&S, whose past experience has centered on the creation of shopping complexes similar to the Long Beach Towne Center, has proposed to build a mix of retail, restaurants, hotels, a theatre and a marina at the site, according to O&S attorney Jess Bressi. Their future developments, however, include expansive mixed-use projects in the South and Midwest.

But, last week, the city tried to skirt the need for an auction altogether when it nearly worked out an agreement with the Klein group to buy out the lease and property interests for some $49 million in a private sale.

While city officials have remained tight-lipped about their discussions with Klein, an attorney for the city has said the Klein group offered to resolve all pending litigation with QSDI's creditors - including a bitter dispute over development rights with Bandero LLC, QSDI's own minority shareholder.

Klein said there was one thing no other developer had to offer: the ability to dispose of the bankruptcy case altogether.

"We are the only ones who can offer a global settlement," he said, adding that he had already worked out an agreement with QSDI's equity partners.

While city officials and developers declined to discuss the reason that no formal deal was reached last week, those familiar with the talks said the deal hit a snag when the city demanded a larger cut of the purchase price of the lease.

Under terms of the bankruptcy case, city officials agreed last year to accept about $5 million as a settlement with QSDI over a long-standing rent dispute, but had a "subordinate claim" of an additional $4.1 million to be paid only after all other creditors had received their payments. The city's position in last week's talks was that the subordinate claim should take a higher priority if the Klein group was to buy the lease outright, sources said.

The attorney representing the city, Steven Gubner, expressed confidence on Tuesday that a deal could still be reached, but U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Vincent Zurzolo opted to move forward with the scheduled auction - setting the date for Aug. 14.

What will happen next is unclear. Without a private sale, the auction would proceed as planned and developers would be invited to overbid O&S. At least one developer, Derby Lane LLC, has voiced its intention to do just that.

Klein, president of Fletcher Development Company in Newport Beach, said he had 14 projects under way, many of them mixed-use developments and planned communities. Along with PBR, Klein said he recently redeveloped and sold the Snowmass Center in Snowmass Village, Colo.

As a side note, Klein's older brother and former business partner, Robert, now serves as chairman of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine's governing board. The elder Klein helped write Prop. 71, the stem cell initiative that led to the formation of the CIRM in 2004.

[LAMetroGuy]

Shoreline Gateway Design Changes

During a May 21 study session, representatives from AndersonPacific LLC revealed design changes to its Shoreline Gatway project in Downtown Long Beach.

Located on the northwest corner of Alamitos Avenue and Ocean Boulevard, plans for the mixed-use development call for two taller towers instead of the original three towers outlined in the initial design concept. The East tower, at 35 stories high, would be an iconic tower located at the corner of Ocean Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue. The West tower would contain 18 floors and would be more horizontal in design. There will be a total of 358 residential units.

The developer noted that the two buildings are intentionally designed to look different and eclectic to respect surrounding buildings; the aim is to avoid looking like a large development imposing on the community.

The designh changes were made after a realization that the required land area would not be accessible, said Jim Anderson of AndersonPacific. Therefore, the company worked to compress the same number of units into the development, while also trying to not stray too far outside the EIR, which was certified by the RDA in December.

The updated design will be presented to the planning commision on June 7.

[regboi21]

I kinda like the changed designs for this project cause that area would now have a highrise which would slightly change the skyline.


http://reggie21.ld.net

[drisee]

Shoreline Gateway: I like the proposed height as well...don't know if the design is different from what we've looked at before on this site, i assume so. would love to see that.

Queen Mary: I'm really scared about this one. A universal city walk style development makes no sense to me. It just further spreads out the city and creates yet another supposed destination shopping and entertainment district. there is nothing original about that and i would hope that a great piece of land like that would be set aside for something truly special and iconic...think guggenheim or sydney opera house.

Would love to hear others thoughts on that.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

i had the same thoughts when i heard citywalk like. first thing that popped into my head was uh oh.

[LAMetroGuy]

same here, there are many corridors in long beach (i.e. Pacific Blvd, Long Beach Blvd, Alamitos, Atlantic) that could use the $ spent to revitalize and activate into a real city like environment instead of a disconnected queen mary city walk.

[drisee]

totally agree. i always think the most important street for the downtown is pine ave. it represents the heart of the downtown and in a sense pumps the lifeblood into the rest of the arteries such as pacific, long beach blvd, etc. it would be nice to get pine running at optimum levels. a also think that city hall/library block could really go a long way to making the downtown feel like a real city. it along with pine really feel like the epicenter. anyone ever hear of ideas they have for that as opposed to just being a homeless shelter?

[LAMetroGuy]

Renaissance Long Beach Partners with Chef Suzanne Tracht
5/30/2007 11:17:13 AM
The Renaissance® Long Beach Hotel, in partnership with Sunstone Hotel Investors and CZH Hospitality, announces a licensing deal with Chef Suzanne Tracht to open Tracht’s, inspired by her successful Los Angeles restaurant, Jar, in Long Beach. The Renaissance® Long Beach is near completion of a lavish $6.6 million renovation to this prime property in the heart of the city, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and adjacent to many attractions, including the Pike Complex, Pine Street entertainment district, Long Beach Convention Center, Aquarium of the Pacific, Belmont Village, and the Queen Mary. Tracht’s is finalizing design touches to the restaurant and plans opening to the public in mid-June 2007.

The licensing agreement with Tracht was brought to the Renaissance® Hotels and its owner, Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc., by The CZH Hospitality Group, LLC, as part of the Renaissance® Hotels and Resort’s growing interest in creating superior dining by aligning themselves with top American chefs across the country. General Manager Nusrat Mirza is excited about bringing

Tracht’s food to its new home in Long Beach. “I believe that with the opening of Tracht’s, our hotel guests – and the city’s residents – will finally have a chef-driven restaurant and the dining experience they’ve needed to match the dramatic changes in our city’s lifestyle,” says Mirza. “Suzanne now joins Todd English, Bradley Ogden, Michael Mina and Melissa Kelly in another great chef partnership with us, and helping to raise the culinary standards at the Marriott and Renaissance® Hotels & Resorts.”

Jar is one of Los Angeles’ most popular restaurants and is characterized by its exceptional American Chop House fare, neighborhood feel, and casually elegant ambiance. In Long Beach, Tracht’s will feature many of the signature steaks, roasts and braised foods from the Jar menu, along with Tracht’s imaginative market-inspired appetizers, salads and highly rated ‘sides.’ It will be the first venture outside of Los Angeles for Tracht, and her second restaurant.

The street-side restaurant, with 30 foot high windows providing a view of some of the city’s major attractions, will have its own entrance from Ocean Boulevard, independent of the hotel lobby. The main dining room seats 85 and features a glass-encased temperature controlled wine cellar boasting 1100 bottles. Guests may also opt for the 62-seat outdoor patio with radiant heating and central fire pit. Two private dining rooms for special events complete the design.

Long Beach, like downtown Los Angeles, has been thriving with new construction and an influx of a younger, more urban audience seeking alternative living spaces. Contemporary lofts, artist communities, and creative neighborhood businesses have changed the face of the downtown area in recent years.

Tracht has been prominently featured in Bon Appetit, Los Angeles, Angeleno, Los Angeles Times, the Wall St. Journal, New York Times, InStyle, Elle, and New York. Tracht was also honored as one of Food and Wine magazine’s America’s Best New Chefs 2002; Jar restaurant was named as one of Los Angeles’ top 25 restaurants by restaurant critic Patric Kuh in Los Angeles Magazine 2005, one of 99 Essential Los Angeles Restaurants by Jonathan Gold in the LA Weekly 2006 and was inducted into the Fine Dining Hall of Fame by Nation’s Restaurant News in May 2007.

About Marriot International: MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC. (NYSE:MAR) is a leading lodging company with nearly 2,900 lodging properties in the United States and 67 other countries and territories. Marriott International operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard, TownePlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites and Bulgari brand names; develops and operates vacation ownership resorts under the Marriott Vacation Club, Horizons by Marriott Vacation Club, The Ritz-Carlton Club and Grand Residences by Marriott brands; operates Marriott Executive Apartments; provides furnished corporate housing through its Marriott ExecuStay division; and operates conference centers. The company is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and had approximately 151,000 employees at 2006 year-end. It is ranked as the lodging industry’s most admired company and one of the best places to work for by FORTUNE®. The company is also a 2006 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ENERGY STAR® Partner. In fiscal year 2006, Marriott International reported sales from continuing operations of $12.2 billion. For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at www.marriott.com.

About CZH Hospitality Group, LLC: The CZH Hospitality Group, LLC is an independent advisory firm that specializes in re-concepting, creating and operating restaurants. In the course of his career, Founder and CEO, Carl A. Bruggemeier, has personally overseen $175 MM in total restaurant development, trained over 10,000 management and staff employees, and has spoken on numerous occasions for Fortune 500 Companies, colleges, and universities. The CZH Hospitality Group, LLC is equipped with the talent, resources, and experience necessary to add considerable value to independent restaurants and hotel properties. As restaurant operators, CZH has a unique perspective on how to develop a sense of place, décor, menu concepts, and implement clear management guidelines for local guidance teams. The scope of CZH's work ranges from very specific client driven engagements, to creating relationships with Celebrity Chefs, to full licensing partnerships, to restaurant management contracts, to feasibility and market studies, and several other short and long term services. Currently, The CZH Hospitality Group, LLC is engaged in projects with several Ritz-Carlton Hotels, Four Seasons Hotels, Renaissance Hotels, W Hotels, among others. For more information, please visit our website at www.czhhospitality.com.

[mikedor]

They hung a huge banner on the building today.... thought I'd share some pics of it with you guys...

http://s205316061.onlinehome.us/images/0616071116a.jpg


http://s205316061.onlinehome.us/images/0616071115.jpg


http://s205316061.onlinehome.us/images/0616071116.jpg


http://s205316061.onlinehome.us/images/0616071116b.jpg

[LBDman449]

looks great. when are they supposed to break ground?

[efoo]

Newbie here, been lurking for a few months. I'm interested in a condo/loft in in downtown. I noticed the Edgewater web site domain has expired, anyone know why?

http://www.edgewateronocean.com/

[staraman]

If you read back at some of the older board pages a lot of folks were saying that the developer decided to flip the land. Broadway and Maine is still going up, but not like originally planned. Check out this web site for most listings

www.downtownlongbeach.org/lifestyle/residential/new-all.htm


In any case, similar projects you should consider are ...

www.oceanairehomes.com
www.westoceanlb.com
www.aqualb.com

BTW the word on the street is if you push the Promenade and Aqua reps you can get a year or two of HOA fees waived! Aqua's even throwing in the 2nd parking spot for free now!

I bought in Olson's Promenade and did not get that kind of a deal since the market was still hot at the time... but at least I get first dibs on unit selection.

S. Taraman

[staraman]

the deal on the 2nd parking spot might be good for this weekend only!

http://app.e2ma.net/app/view:CampaignPublic/id:2964.629680934/rid:1224adc6cc9f264ba13b27a7ec25d585

[MooneyFWD]

If you read back at some of the older board pages a lot of folks were saying that the developer decided to flip the land. Broadway and Maine is still going up, but not like originally planned. Check out this web site for most listings

www.downtownlongbeach.org/lifestyle/residential/new-all.htm


In any case, similar projects you should consider are ...

www.oceanairehomes.com
www.westoceanlb.com
www.aqualb.com

BTW the word on the street is if you push the Promenade and Aqua reps you can get a year or two of HOA fees waived! Aqua's even throwing in the 2nd parking spot for free now!

I bought in Olson's Promenade and did not get that kind of a deal since the market was still hot at the time... but at least I get first dibs on unit selection.

S. Taraman

You're right indeed :notacrook:

I reserved my unit at Promenade back in October, and signed all final papers within the last couple weeks. Have my walk-through tomorrow at 10am. Pretty excited.

When I found out how much HOA was, I was about to take my reservation deposit back, but they quickly countered with a 2yrs HOA offer and some other goodies :banana:

For those in the market, check out 133 Promenade Walk. They are great units with 1br sizes that are already obsolete for the price. All other units going up in the area are much smaller and about the same price as mine.

staraman, what kind of unit did you buy?

[drisee]

someone above mentioned that broadway and maine are still going up. from what i can tell not much is going to happen in the near future due to the market falling out. do you know for certain that broadway and maine are happening...the site you referenced is pretty outdated.

it makes sense that things slow down as most of the current units that are for sale are having to throw out huge incentives to get people to bite.

[staraman]

I got a top floor loft 2bd. / 2bth. 1077 sq. ft. that I'm currently renting out.

Upstairs could be considered a loft or a 2nd bedroom since the bath is adjacent.

As for Broadway and Maine... I don't know where I read it, maybe on these boards but I guess the developer went back to Council with plans for 2 towers instead of 3 ... so it looks like they are still planning to move forward even if it is not immediate.

I would not call this a market fallout but a return to normalcy.

S. Taraman

[luvLBC]

so what goin on with the pike and the hotel. are they continuing building there??? they need more retails. borders bookstore is great but need music selections.

[Mikefly562]

I found this Youtube video of a scenery project in work for Microsoft Flight Simulator...not sure if it is for FS2004 or FSX, but looks cool! Great animation of downtown Long Beach!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBEDpM6jISk

[mikedor]

Today in the LA Times:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-seaport10jul10,1,6073241,full.story?coll=la-headlines-california&ctrack=2&cset=true

[yibs]

Hello, I am a resident of long beach on the waterfront. I think this town is somewhat scary at night, and i worry about all the gangs and robberies around downtown. If i couldn't see the ocean i don't think i would live out here. I like it alot in belmont shore and seal beach.

[ChrisLA]

^
And your point is?

Granted downtown Long Beach isn't squeaky (white) clean, but at the same time its not some crime ridden gang infested neighborhood either. I lived in the area for 7 years and have never had any problems with gangs, or crime. I'm sure there are gangs in the area, but its not like they run the neighborhood either. Another thing is I don't live along the waterfront, but in the west gateway section of downtown which many would consider the lower end of downtown. If you live along the waterfront I can't see how you are even worried since its mostly upper class, where is my area is lower to middle class. So I'm sure we have more problems in the west gateway, but not enough that I'm afraid, or even experience any major problems.

Don't think Belmont Shores doesn't have its share of problems, there is always something happening down on 2nd Street. Why? Just link Pine Avenue, and even at The Pike, they have establishments where people drink and get drunk. Anytime you have alcohol involved there are bound to be problems, fights, etc. People in Belmont Shores complain all the time about roudy people, and many times I've seen college students acting like wild animals and drunk. But I guess because they're white, its not the same as let say a black or a latino acting the same. :rolleyes:

Perhaps you should have moved to Manhattan Beach. Long Beach is a big city, with lots of diversity, and classes of people, rich and poor. I'm sure you knew this before you moved here.

[drisee]

i'm not quite sure what the point of that was either, tell us something we don't know. i hear irvine is nice and safe.

mikedor, would you mind copy and pasting that LA times article...i don't have an account. i hear the issue got extended in the city council today anyways...takes forever.

ChrisLA...what do you think of the plans moving forward on West Gateway. Lyon West Gateway was granted a development agreement today at the city council meeting. Have you seen their concept?

[ChrisLA]

ChrisLA...what do you think of the plans moving forward on West Gateway. Lyon West Gateway was granted a development agreement today at the city council meeting. Have you seen their concept?


I haven't been following it much as of late. One reason is things are moving way too slow IMO, and its fusstrating at times. I've been here 7 years, and we are still waiting for something to happen. Granted they have removed a lot of the old run down housing and now there are just open fields. So yes there is some progress, but now how much longer before anything breaks ground? Of all of the neighborhoods downtown, we are the last to see many changes. I do like my area, but man progress is slow. I look foward to being able to just walk two blocks to get some good coffee, or have a few nice cafes close by. Its not that Pine Avenue, or Ocean isn't walkable (I do it all the time), but some days epecially during the summer I would rather not walk those blocks. Besides we need better quality stores in my area, and more that caters to the middle-class that have and are moving in my section of town. Since I been in this area I've seen the area change quite a bit (diversity and class of people), but we're lacking in quality retail. Don't get me wrong, we have stores. Mostly fast food chinese dives, donut shops, etc all around, but for the most part nothing that I ever frequent unless I need something quick. Most of my neighbors don't frequent these either, I end up running into a lot of them at stores like Trader Joes, and such.

Hopefully things will move along quicker than in the past.

[ChrisLA]

mikedor, would you mind copy and pasting that LA times article...i don't have an account. i hear the issue got extended in the city council today anyways...takes forever.


Here you go.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-seaport10jul10,1,6073241,full.story?coll=la-headlines-california&ctrack=2&cset=true


Long Beach condo plan touches a nerve
A plan to replace a marina-area hotel with residential towers stirs fears of congestion.
By Sharon Bernstein and Deborah Schoch, Times Staff Writers
July 10, 2007

The SeaPort Marina Hotel sits at the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and 2nd Street in Long Beach, looking like a worn postcard from the 1950s — a sprawling low-rise complex of pink buildings above the marina that has clearly seen better days.

Neighbors say the place is an eyesore — and some hotel guests have complained in Internet chat rooms that the accommodations are dirty and smelly.

But a plan to tear down the landmark building and erect 170,000 square feet of shops and 425 luxury condos has met with stiff opposition from many Long Beach residents, who see it as an unwanted part of the booming port city's march toward high-density urbanism.

New development has been sweeping the coast of Long Beach, with several new high-rise condos going up in the downtown area in the last two years. Several new developments are also in the works on the eastern shore, around the hotel.

The Seaport Marina project would be the biggest in decades along Alamitos Bay and has become a symbol for what some consider overdevelopment.

It would rise next to a popular boat marina and across the street from a neglected expanse of mud, cattails, saltwater pools and oil pumps that form the Los Cerritos Wetlands.

Brown pelicans sit atop the lampposts and great blue herons perch on palm trees. Cyclists speed by on land, and sailors and kayakers cruise under the adjacent 2nd Street bridge.

The California Coastal Commission staff has already expressed concern about the loss of the SeaPort hotel, saying it would prefer overnight lodgings that many can afford instead of high-rise condos for the relatively few.

Proposed by the California division of Florida-based Lennar Homes, the Seaport Marina project is one of several in the works in parts of Long Beach and north Orange County.

It has won kudos from those who say that the city needs more housing but concern among longtime residents who worry that Long Beach is becoming too dense.

"There's too much development around here," said Ossie Saguil, 48, a physician who lives in a condominium nearby.

"The traffic patterns are bad already," Saguil said. "And now this plan is also bad for the environment. It will lead to congestion, which will also lead to pollution."

Brandon Kline, vice president for public policy for the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, said the project would benefit the city, bringing businesses, sales tax revenue and moderately priced housing to an area that desperately needs it.

But he said the developer should work with residents to retool the project so that nearby homeowners are more comfortable with it.

"We're definitely supportive of it, but we want to make sure we are able to balance the development with what the residents want," Kline said.

The project won support of the Long Beach Planning Commission last spring, but was appealed to the City Council. Under pressure from homeowners and other opponents, the council is expected to postpone until November a hearing on the project that had been scheduled for tonight. The council is still expected to hold a special wetlands study session at 2:30 p.m. today.

Long Beach City Councilman Gary DeLong, whose district includes the SeaPort hotel, said he would ask for the continuance because Lennar has not yet developed a satisfactory plan for reducing the traffic consequences of the huge project.

Close to the junction of the 405 and 605 freeways, the area is already congested, according to DeLong and others, and residents say that traffic is already severe, especially with beachgoers in warmer months.

If the company cannot find a way of reducing the traffic, he said, it should scale down the project significantly.

"I do believe that some time over the next couple of months they will see that reduced density must be part of the solution," DeLong said.

Phone calls placed to Lennar's corporate headquarters were not returned Monday, and calls to its Aliso Viejo office were not answered.

Charles Posner, a planner with the Coastal Commission's Long Beach office, said the agency was concerned about several aspects of the plan, including traffic and the possibility that a road might be built through the wetlands, one of Southern California's last remaining unrestored salt marsh areas.

The commission is also concerned that Lennar would build condominiums because the state prefers that scarce land at the shore be used for purposes other than residential.

The commission expects to review the project if it is approved by the City Council, Posner said.

The nearby wetland is a key issue for many residents.

Mary Parsell, president of the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust, which appealed the Planning Commission's approval of the project, said the buildings would be taller than the stores and other structures flanking the wetland.

"That would change the whole character of the area," Parsell said. "What do you want next to the wetlands and our beautiful beach areas?"

Long Beach attorney Melvin L. Nutter, a former state Coastal Commission chairman, said Monday that he hoped the council's decision to delay its hearing would allow the city to step back and design a plan for the entire wetlands area that takes traffic and marsh preservation into account.

Nutter represents opponents of a proposed Home Depot nearby as well as a proposed road extension that is part of the Lennar project.

Both the Home Depot and the road extension are to be reviewed by the Coastal Commission later this year.

State officials have "concluded that the Los Cerritos Wetlands is an area that justifies major restoration activity and money developed to it," Nutter said. "So we ought not be compromising its viability."

[yibs]

So i guess i can't express my opinion? I'm sorry that i ruined your thread. I have lived here for about 10 years, and have seen many changes for the good and for the bad. I live in the pacific building. If you live on the west side and say you don't see gang problems then i say good for you. Although nobody wants to go near that area. Downtown could be a really cool place if we had smart people working for the city. Unlike a citycouncil that is composed of 3 people in the same family.
But anyway i have enjoyed reading the debate so far and look foward to adding my opinions. Not that anyone asked or cares.

[yibs]

Oh and speaking of big cities, chris i lived in new york and san francisco. Granted all cities have some problems. But some cities are so great that you can forget about the bad aspects. I try to find the good in this city, and theres plenty of it, but then there are things that just get annoying. Residents have been asking the city council ever since i lived here to divert the la river so that i dont have to stand on my blacony everyday wacthing tractors scraping all the trash out of the sand. But they throw up there hands like we can't do anything about it. I had high hopes for the pike, which have been crushed. cityplace and its walmart as the centerpiece of downtown was one of the biggest mistakes. Pine ave was fun for a while until a friend of mine was robbed there. I figure we all have our own experiences with this city. If all of your experiences in the city are great then i'm happy for you. But some have had worse luck then you. And wtf would i want to live in manhattan beach? Long beach is a big city. 5th largest in the state. And your point is? That only the little waterfront area is ok. But 2 people were robbed below me on the beach last week. Or the 6 kids who robbed women around downtown on this past monday with a gun. I guess im worrying about nothing. Its just last time i went for a walk downtown i had a car full of angry looking guys starring at me like they wanted to rape me. And being a woman walking alone that is a worry to me. But not to you.

[ChrisLA]

I'm well aware someone was robbed on 5th & Pine which happens just a few blocks from where I live. I'm also aware of other crimes that occured recently. Yet I'm not naive to know these things will happen, and sadly summer months always have higher crime rates in just about any city. Yet I'm also smart enough to know this typically isn't an everyday occurance, and nor willl I allow this these things to keep me stuck in my condo and not enjoy my life.

I suggested Manhattan Beach, and the other forumer mentioned Irvine because of the fact you said you were concerned about the crime here. Manhattan Beach has a lot of offer and its near a beach and is considered safe.

Oh btw I said I live downtown in the West Gateway, not the west side which is an entirely different part of the city. As far West Gateway no one wanting to come over here, well thats their right. As I said I lived in this neighborhood for 7 years, and I haven't have any problems what so ever. And yes white people live in this area, in fact more than half my building is white. Guess what many of them are single women, and also many of the even walk their dogs in this neighborhood late at night. I see them all the time because my unit is on the 1st level and my patio faces the street. Apparently they feel safe enough in the area to be out that late.

Anyway no hard feelings on my part, you have your opinion and I have mine.

BTW, welcome to the forum. :)

[colemonkee]

^ Wait, so your building is half single women? I may have to come hang out there... ;)

[LB Life07]

I might have to come join colemonkee on that adventure!! As for yibs.....I understand your complaints....but you have to keep in mind that long beach has come a long way. You say you lived here for 10 yrs...try living hear back in 1990, the crime was much worse...and for a person like me whose lived in the very bad areas of long beach like PCH and LB Blvd. and have observed everything from prostitution to drug deals, to witnessing a person being murdered on the street! The areas in downtown that you speak of seem like paradise....You say you've lived in San Fran and New york both of which Im sure have higher crime than long beach!! The gangs are a problem but mostly pose a problem to others within there age groups and who fit the same types of descriptions as there selves......Most gangs target others like them.....it's only so often that the innocent people get caught up in most of this!! I think the problem around the downtown area is more with the homeless than with the gangs.....As for me I like being in the downtown area I don't really feel any real threat down there!! Mostly because Im used to growing up in an environment where these types of issues are common, I see the places you speak of as a walk in the park!! Still one should never let their guard down, there's trouble in every city of the world....I do feel long beach has come a long way!!! as Im sure all of us on here do. We just all have to give it some time. Glad to hear you opinion though! Welcome to the forum!

[InsExchLoft_dweller]

speaking of homeless...

the promenade was closed off by a green fence on Promenade/3rd (in front of the Dave Sneider Jewelry) due to construction.

So we all complained at the DLBA meeting and they actually talked to the developer and had the fence moved back so that there was a walkway.

So now we have a hobo alley...

You just can't win in this city. I'm fearing that the promenade will turn into a hobo park when it's all done.
:shrug:

[LB Life07]

Isn't there something that can be done to push the homeless out of these areas in the downtown. If the city of LA can have the type of results they have in skid row, howcome we can't do the same!! I was driving past Lincoln park the other day at about 5:30PM and the whole park was full of homeless just camping out in the park!! there should be some sort of ordinance enforced!

[ChrisLA]

^
They always camp out at Lincoln Park, but I've been reading of talks of opening up and redoing that park. Also because its really closed off from the civic center, there are plently of places to hide and sell or do drugs in there. Honestly I walked past there often along the promenade in to the civic center to visit the library. I almost forget the park is there because its sort closed off with a wall that you don't even see it. A few weeks ago I guess a couple of homeless guys where fighting, and one guy stumbled outside on to the promenade while I was passing by. He had blood running down his head, not a pretty sight. Anyway something needs to be done, although the homeless problem here is nothing like skid row. One thing for sure I've noticed is there seems to be more since downtown LA is running them out. I think they are coming to Long Beach, and I've also noticed more than usual even in Santa Monica.

[LB Life07]

has anyone paid a visit to the olson website www.133promenade.com if you go to there gallery section they have some really nice images of what the projects will look like when there complete. The highlight is a virtual tour that you can select which is very impressing!!

[drisee]

133 promenade i'm not a fan of. reminds me of a stucco hospital or something. sure the rooms inside look contemporary and nice but the look from the outside leaves a lot to be desired. just nothing special about it at all...very blah in choice of architecture and materials.

Homeless problem, i have some info to share. The problem seems to be a combination of things. According to the law people are allowed to "picnic" in the park up to a certain time. The definition for picnic is a little loose so instead of people picnicking we get bums sleeping but it's hard to enforce. The real problem seems to be the following. One is that there is no law making it illegal for them to be fed/supported by outsiders. So that's why you see people roll up with food and clothing and it's legal for them to do that. The other problem is the church and cedar, one block away allows them to sleep there. So basically the hang out all day in the park until park closing, which i think is 8 and then a lot of them take up space at the church. So they're being supported from two downtown locations. So who is allowing this to happen, one of the main ones is bonnie lowenthal, councilmember.

so unless we can fight to get these rules changed they will continue to hang out. Most other cities just move to their support systems to the outskirts of town, which we should do as well. nothing "bums" me out more then seeing in the heart of our downtown, it's bull shit!!!

That are will eventually be redeveloped to some degree although it will probably take a few years.

[want2beaqui]

I live in downtown long beach and have to say i love it, i guess i am just more tolerable of the homeless around here. Its not bad to me at all i see about 10 walking the street sat dusk and i just mind my business and so do they. Actaully had a full on conversation with one walking by my apt the other day. Most are just people who have fell on hard times and are just mindin thier business and then there are the mentally ill which i do not knwo what to think about them out and about.

[downinit]

(Sorry for the long and rambling post, but I just had to get something off my chest.)

I want to see downtown lb prosper as much as anyone, and I noticed how much potential it has as soon as I moved here in 2004. One of the things that attracted me to the area is that there is was a vast array of different restaurants, ranging from fast food to fine dining, with everything in between. Especially when you venture a few blocks down to Anaheim street. There were very few national chains. Almost all of the restaurants were either one of a kind like or very small, local chains. L B had a personality to it that was very different from the vast suburban wastelands that are all clones of each other with the same exact stores and restaurants. Wal-mart was the biggest blight in the area, attracting all the trash that wal-marts attract wherever they open. Since then, all the restaurants that have opened are boring national chains that can be found in every other neighborhood, and the ones that are being pushed out are the smaller places that you don't have anywhere else. Someone in here complained that they wanted a cheesecake factory here, but aren't there enough of those everywhere else in the area already. Meanwhile, the Long Beach Cafe, which has a menu that is surprisingly almost as vast as the menu at the Cheese Factory, is soon to be ran out of town to build more high-rises. Then there is the new Quiznos, next to the Subway, when Modicas is only a block away, and much better. (I have no association to any restaurant, nor do I have loyalty to any one place. It is in variety that I find culinary happiness) It is so sad that people insist on eating over and over again at the exact same restaurants with food that tastes exactly the same at every one of their 1000+ locations. I dont even want to know what magic secret chemicals and processing they use to maintain such consistancy, but just look at how natural McD's is and you will see my point. The less chemists involved in the preparation of my meal, the better. Personally, I would rather drive 30 min to eat somewhere I have never been to before, than walk 5 minutes to get another boring meal at one of the chains by the aquarium.

Which brings about my second concern. A few years ago, there were apts all over dt lb, but condos were few and far between. Now that they are adding 4-5k over the next few years, it seems to be the exact opposite, and now some of the few apts remaining are trying to convert to condos. High rises and mid rises are going up in every vacant lot, and every one of them is a condo or "loft". All the parking lots are disappearing, with the price at the few remaining lots doubling. Thanks to ridiculous rules by the coastal commission, and greed of developers, the new housing going up is all being build with an insufficient number of parking spots for the number of units being built. If you have a couple living in a 1 bedroom(which is only given/allowed 1 spot, or if you have a couple and a renter in a 2 bed unit with 1 or 2 spots, then there is 1 more car per unit than there is parking, multiplied by lets say 1000 units(assuming 20% of the 5k units is included in one of the above scenarios) , is 1000 people who will need to find parking in a city that just tore out all the public parking lots to build condos.
In addition to the parking problems, the vast supply, combined with the dead real estate market means that the value of everyone's dt property will continue to plummet, including the value of the newly built units that are suffering to find buyers. I would like to know where the city learned about 5k singles or childless couples making at least low 6 figure incomes who would love to move to dt lb, into a 1 or 2 bed condo. Especially since with all this building boom, not a single building is adding any jobs that will employ these young professionals. The only jobs added to dt in the last few years are construction(which is temporary and fleeting) and restaurant (waiters and cooks cant afford $400-900k condos).

I'm all for the construction of skyscrapers and building up dt lb. But would it kill these developers to build an office building, along with the condos? The low vacancy rate in the area was already discussed earlier in the thread, so that is not the issue. But if you want to attract young professionals with 6 figure incomes, you need to add jobs for these people, since adding 5k commuters leaving dt lb every morning will make the lb traffic much worse. And that reminds me of the last thing I liked about lb- the traffic was much lighter here than most other parts of socal.

The traffic, the location(on the water), and the fact that it offers a different ambience than any other parts of socal are the biggests assets this town has to offer, and I am afraid those advantages will become nullified in the years to come, which will discourage people from coming here in the first place. At least we will still have the ocean, even though it is too toxic due to the ports to actually swim in.

[LB Life07]

(Sorry for the long and rambling post, but I just had to get something off my chest.)

I want to see downtown lb prosper as much as anyone, and I noticed how much potential it has as soon as I moved here in 2004. One of the things that attracted me to the area is that there is was a vast array of different restaurants, ranging from fast food to fine dining, with everything in between. Especially when you venture a few blocks down to Anaheim street. There were very few national chains. Almost all of the restaurants were either one of a kind like or very small, local chains. L B had a personality to it that was very different from the vast suburban wastelands that are all clones of each other with the same exact stores and restaurants. Wal-mart was the biggest blight in the area, attracting all the trash that wal-marts attract wherever they open. Since then, all the restaurants that have opened are boring national chains that can be found in every other neighborhood, and the ones that are being pushed out are the smaller places that you don't have anywhere else. Someone in here complained that they wanted a cheesecake factory here, but aren't there enough of those everywhere else in the area already. Meanwhile, the Long Beach Cafe, which has a menu that is surprisingly almost as vast as the menu at the Cheese Factory, is soon to be ran out of town to build more high-rises. Then there is the new Quiznos, next to the Subway, when Modicas is only a block away, and much better. (I have no association to any restaurant, nor do I have loyalty to any one place. It is in variety that I find culinary happiness) It is so sad that people insist on eating over and over again at the exact same restaurants with food that tastes exactly the same at every one of their 1000+ locations. I dont even want to know what magic secret chemicals and processing they use to maintain such consistancy, but just look at how natural McD's is and you will see my point. The less chemists involved in the preparation of my meal, the better. Personally, I would rather drive 30 min to eat somewhere I have never been to before, than walk 5 minutes to get another boring meal at one of the chains by the aquarium.

Which brings about my second concern. A few years ago, there were apts all over dt lb, but condos were few and far between. Now that they are adding 4-5k over the next few years, it seems to be the exact opposite, and now some of the few apts remaining are trying to convert to condos. High rises and mid rises are going up in every vacant lot, and every one of them is a condo or "loft". All the parking lots are disappearing, with the price at the few remaining lots doubling. Thanks to ridiculous rules by the coastal commission, and greed of developers, the new housing going up is all being build with an insufficient number of parking spots for the number of units being built. If you have a couple living in a 1 bedroom(which is only given/allowed 1 spot, or if you have a couple and a renter in a 2 bed unit with 1 or 2 spots, then there is 1 more car per unit than there is parking, multiplied by lets say 1000 units(assuming 20% of the 5k units is included in one of the above scenarios) , is 1000 people who will need to find parking in a city that just tore out all the public parking lots to build condos.
In addition to the parking problems, the vast supply, combined with the dead real estate market means that the value of everyone's dt property will continue to plummet, including the value of the newly built units that are suffering to find buyers. I would like to know where the city learned about 5k singles or childless couples making at least low 6 figure incomes who would love to move to dt lb, into a 1 or 2 bed condo. Especially since with all this building boom, not a single building is adding any jobs that will employ these young professionals. The only jobs added to dt in the last few years are construction(which is temporary and fleeting) and restaurant (waiters and cooks cant afford $400-900k condos).

I'm all for the construction of skyscrapers and building up dt lb. But would it kill these developers to build an office building, along with the condos? The low vacancy rate in the area was already discussed earlier in the thread, so that is not the issue. But if you want to attract young professionals with 6 figure incomes, you need to add jobs for these people, since adding 5k commuters leaving dt lb every morning will make the lb traffic much worse. And that reminds me of the last thing I liked about lb- the traffic was much lighter here than most other parts of socal.

The traffic, the location(on the water), and the fact that it offers a different ambience than any other parts of socal are the biggests assets this town has to offer, and I am afraid those advantages will become nullified in the years to come, which will discourage people from coming here in the first place. At least we will still have the ocean, even though it is too toxic due to the ports to actually swim in.

A few things here bother me about your perspective on the issues going on in long beach!! Number one is the parking spaces.....if you have noticed one thing about long beach.....they are trying to create a pedestrian oriented environment! pedestrian friendly environments cater to the pedestrian much more than they cater to the person with the car!! housing in downtown areas where you don't need to have cars to get from point A to point B because most of it is around you........you say you don't want to see the traffic problems that the rest of greater LA faces but you want more opportunity for traffic issues.:koko: Right now long beach has the blue line, it has a good bus system! The MTA, Torrance transit, OCTA, and LBT, all run through parts of the city.....There also looking into implementing street cars into some of the east west corridors in the city. Another issue is the chain restaurants.....while I feel you on the subject, long beach is a big city! part of keeping people on there feet and within there city is to create options they can have close by without having to travel to Marina Del Rey, Downtown LA or Hollywood to have a Cheesecake factory or a PF changs! True it does suck for the little man but the little man can still survive under these conditions.....especially if they fill in near areas of highly populated residential areas where people can go right outside there door and find them there!! Long Beach is and will stay a unique city!! it's one of the few southern california cities with this type of urban environment that's near the water!! The only other city that has this is SD!! I think that the big name restaurants has restored bringing people back to our water front!! which has also improved business for the people who make a living on the water front by conducting tours of the harbor, renting jet ski's and whale watching tours!! The dissapearance of dead zones like parking lots are always a beautiful thing to see, especially when it's replaced with a mixed use residential or retail building!!:cheers: I like the direction long beach is heading in.......as for the condo conversions....I've posted an article for you below! it's from the Gazette!

[LB Life07]

(Sorry for the long and rambling post, but I just had to get something off my chest.)

I want to see downtown lb prosper as much as anyone, and I noticed how much potential it has as soon as I moved here in 2004. One of the things that attracted me to the area is that there is was a vast array of different restaurants, ranging from fast food to fine dining, with everything in between. Especially when you venture a few blocks down to Anaheim street. There were very few national chains. Almost all of the restaurants were either one of a kind like or very small, local chains. L B had a personality to it that was very different from the vast suburban wastelands that are all clones of each other with the same exact stores and restaurants. Wal-mart was the biggest blight in the area, attracting all the trash that wal-marts attract wherever they open. Since then, all the restaurants that have opened are boring national chains that can be found in every other neighborhood, and the ones that are being pushed out are the smaller places that you don't have anywhere else. Someone in here complained that they wanted a cheesecake factory here, but aren't there enough of those everywhere else in the area already. Meanwhile, the Long Beach Cafe, which has a menu that is surprisingly almost as vast as the menu at the Cheese Factory, is soon to be ran out of town to build more high-rises. Then there is the new Quiznos, next to the Subway, when Modicas is only a block away, and much better. (I have no association to any restaurant, nor do I have loyalty to any one place. It is in variety that I find culinary happiness) It is so sad that people insist on eating over and over again at the exact same restaurants with food that tastes exactly the same at every one of their 1000+ locations. I dont even want to know what magic secret chemicals and processing they use to maintain such consistancy, but just look at how natural McD's is and you will see my point. The less chemists involved in the preparation of my meal, the better. Personally, I would rather drive 30 min to eat somewhere I have never been to before, than walk 5 minutes to get another boring meal at one of the chains by the aquarium.

Which brings about my second concern. A few years ago, there were apts all over dt lb, but condos were few and far between. Now that they are adding 4-5k over the next few years, it seems to be the exact opposite, and now some of the few apts remaining are trying to convert to condos. High rises and mid rises are going up in every vacant lot, and every one of them is a condo or "loft". All the parking lots are disappearing, with the price at the few remaining lots doubling. Thanks to ridiculous rules by the coastal commission, and greed of developers, the new housing going up is all being build with an insufficient number of parking spots for the number of units being built. If you have a couple living in a 1 bedroom(which is only given/allowed 1 spot, or if you have a couple and a renter in a 2 bed unit with 1 or 2 spots, then there is 1 more car per unit than there is parking, multiplied by lets say 1000 units(assuming 20% of the 5k units is included in one of the above scenarios) , is 1000 people who will need to find parking in a city that just tore out all the public parking lots to build condos.
In addition to the parking problems, the vast supply, combined with the dead real estate market means that the value of everyone's dt property will continue to plummet, including the value of the newly built units that are suffering to find buyers. I would like to know where the city learned about 5k singles or childless couples making at least low 6 figure incomes who would love to move to dt lb, into a 1 or 2 bed condo. Especially since with all this building boom, not a single building is adding any jobs that will employ these young professionals. The only jobs added to dt in the last few years are construction(which is temporary and fleeting) and restaurant (waiters and cooks cant afford $400-900k condos).

I'm all for the construction of skyscrapers and building up dt lb. But would it kill these developers to build an office building, along with the condos? The low vacancy rate in the area was already discussed earlier in the thread, so that is not the issue. But if you want to attract young professionals with 6 figure incomes, you need to add jobs for these people, since adding 5k commuters leaving dt lb every morning will make the lb traffic much worse. And that reminds me of the last thing I liked about lb- the traffic was much lighter here than most other parts of socal.

The traffic, the location(on the water), and the fact that it offers a different ambience than any other parts of socal are the biggests assets this town has to offer, and I am afraid those advantages will become nullified in the years to come, which will discourage people from coming here in the first place. At least we will still have the ocean, even though it is too toxic due to the ports to actually swim in.

A few things here bother me about your perspective on the issues going on in long beach!! Number one is the parking spaces.....if you have noticed one thing about long beach.....they are trying to create a pedestrian oriented environment! pedestrian friendly environments cater to the pedestrian much more than they cater to the person with the car!! housing in downtown areas where you don't need to have cars to get from point A to point B because most of it is around you........you say you don't want to see the traffic problems that the rest of greater LA faces but you want more opportunity for traffic issues.:koko: Right now long beach has the blue line, it has a good bus system! The MTA, Torrance transit, OCTA, and LBT, all run through parts of the city.....There also looking into implementing street cars into some of the east west corridors in the city. Another issue is the chain restaurants.....while I feel you on the subject, long beach is a big city! part of keeping people on there feet and within there city is to create options they can have close by without having to travel to Marina Del Rey, Downtown LA or Hollywood to have a Cheesecake factory or a PF changs! True it does suck for the little man but the little man can still survive under these conditions.....especially if they fill in near areas of highly populated residential areas where people can go right outside there door and find them there!! Long Beach is and will stay a unique city!! it's one of the few southern california cities with this type of urban environment that's near the water!! The only other city that has this is SD!! I think that the big name restaurants has restored bringing people back to our water front!! which has also improved business for the people who make a living on the water front by conducting tours of the harbor, renting jet ski's and whale watching tours!! The dissapearance of dead zones like parking lots are always a beautiful thing to see, especially when it's replaced with a mixed use residential or retail building!!:cheers: I like the direction long beach is heading in.......as for the condo conversions....I've posted an article for you below! it's from the Gazette!

[LB Life07]

Market Forces Reduce Condo Conversion Pace


By Kurt Helin
Editor

From 2004 to 2006, just about every Planning Commission meeting seemed to involve the approval of converting an apartment building or two into condominiums.

It’s not something seen in many other parts of Southern California, in part because Long Beach has such a high percentage of rental units (56% of residents rent) and because the city’s ordinances are more lenient in allowing the conversion.

But in the wake of all the changes, there are questions. At the top of that list are questions about the renters forced to move — were they given enough notice and help in finding new homes?

Last week, the Planning Commission got an update on the trend, the market forces behind it, and the impacts.

“I think it’s clear we have a problem,” said Commissioner Matthew Jenkins. “But it’s not just one thing, but a comprehensive problem.”

One thing the Planning Commission learned — for now, the trend has stalled.

In 2006, 1,073 apartments were approved to be converted into condominiums in 78 different buildings, and since 2004 more than 2,000 condo conversions have been approved. This year, owners have sought conversions of just 350 units in 18 buildings, although half of the unit total comes from one building (110 W. Sixth St., near Pine Avenue).

The conversions have slowed as part of an overall slowdown in the real estate market in both the region and city, the Planning Commission was told. What’s more, many of the already-approved conversions have yet to be put on the market because of the slow market.

The reasons for the rash of conversions in the first place — and why city staff almost always recommended approval — also was a topic of discussion.

According to a 2005 census track, 56% of Long Beach’s 173,000 housing units are rentals. City Council policy long had been to try to increase home ownership in the city, so for the most part, conversion of apartments to condominiums was encouraged, staff said.

Those conversions did have to meet certain standards, city staff said.

The usual sticking point has been parking. City code requires one space for one-bedroom units and 1.25 spaces for every two-bedroom unit, and those standards were held almost across the board with few variances, staff said. That basically eliminated every apartment building in the city built before 1964 from being converted, officials said.

However, the biggest and most emotional topic of the day was the treatment of those in the apartments who were forced to move.

Several speakers from Long Beach Housing talked of cases where tenants forced to move to make way for condos either got little notice or were given no guidance regarding the benefits available to them to help them move.

While the city has a relocation process in place — one that allows up to $4,000 to help tenants move — that information has rarely gotten to the tenants. City staff said the details on how to move are posted on the city’s Web site.

“I’m sure all these tenants look at your site,” Commissioner Charles Green-berg said sarcastically.

Often what happens is that the building owner gives 30 day notice and less money in an effort to push tenants out before Long Beach officials get involved, said Elina Green of the Legal Aid Foundation.

“I think if the city had a heavier hand in this relocation process we wouldn’t see some of the problems that go on,” she said.

The commission agreed to take another look at the city’s housing relocation process at an upcoming meeting. However, and changes of substance would need City Council approval.

[CityKid]

^^^ I am from Long Beach and live in San Francisco. Whenever you live in a desirable location, parking is going to be scarce. I applaud Long Beach for trying to create a pedestrian friendly environment. Downtown still has a long way to go to improve its ambiance, but increasing parking will only increase traffic. Ultimately, they will have to improve upon the public transportation network, which I understand they are taking steps toward.

I agree about the chain restaurants; however, as time progresses and downtown begins to build its character, I think more of those will appear. It has been difficult for new upcoming neighborhoods even in San Francisco to get mom and pop type of businesses (Mission Bay). Those will come later.

On a different note, I love to see how Long Beach changes. Whenever I go home, I avoid driving into Hollywood like the plague and support businesses downtown. It's the urban environment I have grown accustomed to living in San Francisco and Madrid, and I hope to see it manifest itself in its own unique Long Beach way.

[LAMetroGuy]

By Sandi Cain - 7/23/2007
Orange County Business Journal Staff

Long Beach and Anaheim are friendly rivals, vying with each other for tourists and once squaring off in a bid to land Walt Disney Co.’s second Southern California theme park.

Anaheim ended up getting the park, Disney’s California Adventure, which opened in 2001.

Since then, the two cities have taken different redevelopment paths.

Along with the new park, Anaheim expanded its convention center, saw hotels built or upgraded as well as other developments in and around the 1,100-acre Anaheim Resort District.

The redevelopment regenerated what had been a sagging tourism industry in the late 1990s.

Long Beach, which enjoyed a heyday in the late 1990s, lost some luster early in the decade due to financial setbacks and lawsuits that delayed the completion of its waterfront redevelopment and neighboring projects.

One project ran into trouble when Newport Beach-based Edwards Theatres Circuit Inc. filed for bankruptcy.

A Carnival Cruise Line facility was delayed by environmental challenges. Several hotel projects languished with a lack of financing.

Now, Anaheim faces a struggle over the resort district’s future. Developers are trying to cement zoning that would allow them to put homes within the 2.2 square mile area currently reserved for theme parks, hotels and shops.

The controversy—which could come to a citywide vote this fall—has led other property owners to hold off on plans within the resort district until the matter is settled.

Just outside the resort district at the Platinum Triangle, as many as 9,500 homes are in the works, along with 5 million square feet of office space and 2 million square feet of commercial space.

In nearby downtown Anaheim, the Colony Park development stands to add another 339 townhomes, while Harbor Lofts is bringing 129 homes.

But the issue of bringing homes next to Disneyland—or near a planned third Disney park in the area—has divided the city, with some trying to turn the zoning issue into a debate about affordable housing for Disney workers.

Across the county line, Long Beach redevelopment again has taken off on the strength of an improved economy and the efforts of Downtown Long Beach Associates, which lobbied for zoning changes to encourage development—including housing.

“We were able to change the zoning ordinance for the (waterfront) promenade in order to be able to develop residential,” said Kraig Kojian, president and chief executive of the downtown group.

More than 6,000 homes are completed or in some phase of development in downtown Long Beach. They sell for $300,000 to $3 million. Affordable housing also is part of the mix.

The zoning move in Long Beach—along with an improved economy—helped jumpstart the long-awaited Pike at Rainbow Harbor, a 369,000-square-foot retail, dining and entertainment complex valued at $130 million.

The complex helped bolster attendance at Aquarium of the Pacific, which struggled in its early years as the lone bastion of entertainment on the downtown side of the harbor. Today, it is surrounded by restaurants, a Segway store, GameWorks, shopping and nightlife at places like the trendy V2O.

That appeals to convention planners seeking a compact district where restaurants, shopping, entertainment and hotels are within walking distance of the convention center. With the completion of the Pike at Rainbow Harbor and Pine Avenue’s emergence as a dining and nightlife hot spot, Long Beach has most of those components in place.

It’s about a 10-minute walk from the convention center to the waterfront, the aquarium and to water taxis and catamarans that take visitors to Seaport Village or Catalina Island. There’s a wine-tasting bar across the street from the convention center, next door to an Irish pub. Pine Avenue is just another block away.

Both cities have turned unattractive or run-down areas into thriving spots in the past decade. And despite the recent tussle over housing, Anaheim continues to prosper.

From 1996 to 2006, revenue from Anaheim hotel occupancy taxes almost doubled to $80 million. Hotel occupancy is at 70% to 75% for the past three years—partly on the strength of convention business and Disneyland’s 50th anniversary that peaked in 2005.

Through May of this year, Anaheim hotels are 75% full, up about half a percentage point from last year.

But retail and dining projects have been slow to develop, though this year did see the debut of Ruth’s Chris Steak House and Morton’s. Some meetings and convention planners lament the lack of non-Disney shopping close to the convention center.

GardenWalk project, a 19.3-acre outdoor mall and hotel complex across from Disneyland, is under construction.

As for conventions, the nod goes to Anaheim, which has the largest facility on the West Coast at 1.6 million square feet, versus 400,000 square feet at Long Beach.

Both cities could use an expansion to draw more business.

Anaheim has explored several options for expansion, though none have been approved and funding could be an issue without the help of a business improvement district that would raise money by taxing area businesses.

An economic impact study on expansion is due back within weeks, according to Charles Ahlers, president of the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau. But a proposed business improvement district has generated little enthusiasm from local hoteliers.

This year, Anaheim landscaped the outdoor area around the convention center’s arena to create an outdoor venue for special events.

Long Beach has no plans for expansion. Instead, Kojian said the Downtown Long Beach Associates wants to work on getting more retail into downtown.

“We have entertainment and dining and we’re getting residents (downtown),” he said. “Now we need to work on a stronger retail base.”

Anaheim, acutely aware of the same need, eagerly is awaiting the first phase of GardenWalk this fall. It stands to add restaurants Roy’s, Johnny Rockets and PF Chang’s.

Anaheim also has more hotel rooms than Long Beach. Anaheim has more than 8,000 rooms within a mile of the convention center, while Long Beach has 2,000 rooms downtown.

Several hotels are slated to open in Long Beach in the next year. Hotels planned for Anaheim are unlikely to open that soon.

Long Beach probably has the edge in ground transportation, with free mini-bus transportation in and around downtown that carried 944,000 people last year. That’s in addition to its own bus system, a light rail station that runs to downtown Los Angeles and the AquaLink catamaran that ferries passengers to visitor attractions in and around Long Beach Harbor.

Long Beach also has a cruise terminal near the Queen Mary and Catalina ferry service.

Anaheim’s resort district is served by an electric fleet of trolleys under the Anaheim Resort Transit banner. The trolleys carried about 2 million people last year.

But travel outside the resort district still is cumbersome without a car—a situation the city hopes to remedy with a long-range plan for an Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center. The city has purchased the land for the site, but faced a setback when the project failed to secure federal money.

In his 2007 state of the city remarks earlier this year, Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle suggested another way to build the center: through private funding. The plan would ask businesses if they would be willing to provide funding in exchange for development rights nearby.

“We won’t dictate their vision for this 17 acres of land,” Pringle said, “but ask them for creative ideas on how to make it work.”

Both cities have significant selling points, not the least of which is their attraction as tourist destinations—a factor often considered by convention planners who want to bolster attendance.

Long Beach estimates it had about 5 million visitors last year, who spent $343 million while in town. Figures for Anaheim alone aren’t available. But Orange County had 45 million visitors—the bulk in Anaheim—who spent $8 billion.

In Anaheim, convention planners often cite the family-friendly atmosphere and proximity to Disneyland as reasons for choosing the city.

In Long Beach, proximity to the waterfront is a plus.

“Everybody wants to be by the sea,” said Mary Russell, president and chief executive of Hamilton Group Meeting Planners in Tustin, who has arranged conventions in both cities.

Long Beach is “very affordable” compared to other waterfront locations, Russell said.

Still, competition for tourist dollars is fierce. A couple of conventions have used both Anaheim and Long Beach in recent years, most recently Anime, a convention of about 15,000 fans of the Japanese animation sensation.

And no one yet knows what impact the addition of housing to the resort district would have on convention business in Anaheim.

“Right now, we have a shortage of first-class rooms in Anaheim,” Ahlers said. “If those aren’t developed as intended, it could stunt our growth.”

Sports Towns

Long Beach and Anaheim share something in common—they often play second fiddle to Los Angeles in the national mindset.

In many other states, Long Beach and Anaheim would be the leaders.

Long Beach, No. 5 among California cities with about 475,000 people, has roughly the same population as Atlanta.

Anaheim, No. 10 in California with 334,000 people, is about the same size as Cincinnati.

Together, the two cities have almost as many people as the state of Montana.

But in Southern California, they have to be noticed for something other than size or tourist attractions. Sports is one way.

Both cities have hosted Olympic trials—swimming in Long Beach and gymnastics in Anaheim. Long Beach now is part of the AVP volleyball tour and hosts several sailing regattas. The annual Long Beach Grand Prix showcases downtown Long Beach each spring. The city lost its popular Ice Dogs minor league hockey team earlier this year.

Anaheim’s teams—hockey’s Anaheim Ducks and baseball’s Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim—each have reached the top of their sports in recent years, bringing the Stanley Cup and World Series trophy to Anaheim.

Last year, a new NBA developmental team, the Arsenal, began play in Anaheim, and it hosts several cheerleading and college basketball tournaments each year.

—Sandi Cain

[regboi21]

What are some ideas do you all have about what Downtown Long Beach will look like 30 or so years from now below are my ideas.

1. long beach could have a fantastic skyline like downtown los angeles has now with 40 to 80 storey buildings most of them probably where the east village is example in the alamitos ave area.

2.More light and heavy rail lines like extending the metro blue to the orange county area example seal beach.

3.More parks and recreational buildings in the downtown area.

4.Improving the popular corridors like long beach blvd and atlantic ave exp tearing down and redeveloping all the buildings along those streets.

[LB Life07]

LONG BEACH - Designers for the ambitious Shoreline Gateway project have revised their plans for a "squat" 22-story tower to a 35-story residential tower, giving the new version a lean sail-like

The Gateway Tower s newest proposed design is a 35-story building on the northwest corner of Ocean Boulevard and Alamitos Avenue in downtown Long Beach. This view is looking north from Shoreline Drive. (Artist s rendering)look.

The building, dubbed the "Gateway Tower," is planned for the northwest corner of Ocean Boulevard and Alamitos Avenue, and would join the historic landmark Villa Riviera and the distinctive International Tower at the intersection.

A community meeting on the project will be held at 6 p.m. Monday at the First Congregational Church, 241 Cedar Ave.

The revised Gateway Tower prompted high praise by the city's Planning Commission members, who heard a presentation on the plans


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Advertisement

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
on July 19. The project is undergoing further environmental reviews before any final approval can be granted.

"This new proposal is a vast improvement of the previous scheme, which was not elegant in its massing or design," said Leslie Gentile, Planning Commission chairwoman. "The 'gateway' was a squat building with little of the apparent character warranted by this corner."

The project, by Los Angeles-based Anderson Pacific, LLC, remains consistent with the developer's September 2006 plans, except for the first tower.

Anderson Pacific officials told the commission that plans for the revised Gateway Tower are the first part of a two-phase effort. Developers want to start the project so construction will not be held up while adjacent properties are purchased to make room for the other buildings: a 15- to 19-story "Terrace Tower" and a 10-story "Courtyard Tower."

The height of the proposed 35-story residential tower, according to planners, will be about 417 feet with 358 units, including townhouses, one- to three-bedroom apartments, penthouses and 13,561 square feet of retail and gallery spaces.

There also would be amenities, including a rooftop pool, planners said.

They told the commission that the revised project is more pedestrian friendly.

For example, they said, Lime Avenue would be cleared between Medio Street and Ocean Boulevard for an elliptical-shaped paseo.

The leaner tower, the planners said, provides a wider separation between the buildings, giving the surrounding area more light and shoreline breeze.

Gentile agreed, saying that the revised project "maintains and complements the rhythm of Ocean Boulevard."

She also predicted the lean tower's distinctive style - including its ability to catch the reflection of the shoreline water - would draw visitors to the city.

"These are the type of projects that make great cities - iconic towers and buildings can create excitement beyond their city limits," she added. "Although a tall order to place on one building, this project's direction promises to do so."

According to the project planners, vehicular access would be available from Ocean Boulevard, Atlantic Avenue and Medio Street.

Bronce Way alley would be relocated, according to the plans, to the northern edge of the project site, serving as a one-way access to the townhouse units.

Parking for about 820 vehicles would be made available, the planners said, in three subterranean parking levels and in concealed parking structures - hidden by townhouses and retail sites.

[LB Life07]

^ LA Metro Guy if you go to the press telegram website there is a render of the new project attached with this article, I don't know how to post these things but I know you do, I was hoping you could post it on the thread in place of the old gateway project!

[CityKid]

^^^ The image that accompanies the above article from www.presstelegram.com:

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site204/2007/0729/20070729_125739_C_PN29-GATEWAY+PC1OSVK.jpg

[LB Life07]

thanks for posting the image CityKid!!!

[Echo Park]

Is there anything slated for the parking lot across the street from the 1st st. blue line station? I haven't been keeping up with this thread but I'm just wondering why a great location like that has been empty for such a long time.

[downinit]

I have taken the blue line as much as anyone who has a car and doesn't commute to work on it would ever ride it. It is a great idea which is very poorly implemented. In any other city I've been in, right of way is given to the train in an intersection, yet on the blue line in LB, you pull out of every station, only to stop a few feet down at the light, which just turned red. Then you stop at 2 or 3 other lights before getting to the next station. It takes almost as long to go 4 miles in LB than it does to go the rest of the way to LA, where the train gets traffic right of way, because people in compton have to yield to the train, where in LB, the train has to yield to the people. And god forbid you have to catch the train at 6th st or 1st street(where all the housing is being added), since the train is 1-way, with an often lengthy stop-over at the transit plaza, it may be 30 minutes before you get 2 miles north to PCH. The bottom line is it just takes too long to get there, but the bigger problem is that most people do not work near a metro rail station, and getting most people on a bus is just not gonna happen. I wish I could get rid of my car and take the train everywhere, but that is not a reality here like it is in many other large urban centers. Especially when everyone votes against mass transit, complaining about the cost and not wanting to have it in their own backyard. Everyone who has a job in socal needs a car, so if 2 people are buying a condo together in LB, they need 2 cars(and a place to park 2 cars). Maybe if they added jobs to the area, which no one seems to be doing, then they could live/work here and not need a parking spot, but that is not what is happening. If you look at any large downtown area, SF/NY/LA/SD, you will notice most of the buildings are office buildings, not residences, the residences are only there because people work there already. You cannot just build condo after condo and expect a metropolis to rise. And part of the problem with parking in other metro areas is that the need for parking arose after the building up of the area, with LB, they are often working with a clean slate, since so much of the area was empty lots a few years ago. Would it really be too much for the city to demand all these new buildings add 1 more level of parking to their structures, to accommodate all the growth they wish to attain.

I do understand the chain restaurant thing, I just don't like to see it over and over again. Its like mcdonalds and walmart, appeal to the lowest common denominator and you will make a ton of money, because the lcd is a very large percentage of the population. I just hope some independents can survive, otherwise LB will become just another subdivision, with taller buildings. Especially if the developers get their way and bulldoze the east village arts district to build more boring condos. Its just sad to see so much of the world starting to look alike, even the mini-malls in asia are starting to resemble our suburbs, with home depots, best buys, and sports authorities anchoring a mcdonalds, subway, and a denny's. Globalization is making the world a very boring place to explore.

[LAMetroGuy]

Especially if the developers get their way and bulldoze the east village arts district to build more boring condos.

I'm for bulldozing even more boring surface parking lots and have mixed-use condos. To me the East Village Arts district seems a bit forced and it needs some thing more iconic to bring visitors.

[LAMetroGuy]

Is there anything slated for the parking lot across the street from the 1st st. blue line station? I haven't been keeping up with this thread but I'm just wondering why a great location like that has been empty for such a long time.

URBAN GROWTH LONG BEACH / RELATED COMPANIES are planning on building two towers, a 22-story loft- condominium building and a 14-story soft-loft condominium building.

[LAMetroGuy]

^^^ The image that accompanies the above article from www.presstelegram.com:

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site204/2007/0729/20070729_125739_C_PN29-GATEWAY+PC1OSVK.jpg


The Gateway Tower (35 floors at 417 feet) will be Long Beach's tallest building by 20 feet! It will surpas the 27-story World Trade Center which currently stands at 397 feet.

[kevininlb]

^^^ The image that accompanies the above article from www.presstelegram.com:

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site204/2007/0729/20070729_125739_C_PN29-GATEWAY+PC1OSVK.jpg

Neat. That corner needs something fantastic and this looks like it. :banana:

[rolinda]

hi there,
Can someone update me on the latest news with West Ocean...they were supposed to be open by now and they are not...can't seem to get a straight answer from the sales staff? How does it look? Any opinions about the quality from those of you down there? Are they offering any HOA deals or builder incentives that anyone knows of? Please I'd love to hear all of your experiences; I am tryng to decide whether to buy here.
thanks

[LB Life07]

hi there,
Can someone update me on the latest news with West Ocean...they were supposed to be open by now and they are not...can't seem to get a straight answer from the sales staff? How does it look? Any opinions about the quality from those of you down there? Are they offering any HOA deals or builder incentives that anyone knows of? Please I'd love to hear all of your experiences; I am tryng to decide whether to buy here.
thanks

As far as I know West Ocean is moving along fine!! they do appear to be a little behind schedule but there is still work being done every day. Both towers are built and all sides of the towers have been painted!! I drove past about 2 days ago and noticed that they appear to be starting the land scaping because I saw trees being planted on the property and some trucks bringing more in. West ocean definately looks like it will be a great place to live!!

[CityKid]

Can anyone post new photos of West Ocean? I'd love to see them, and I don't know when I'll be home again.

[LB Life07]

Im curious to know if anyone on the forum attended the meeting they had monday night for the shoreline gateway project!! if so I would like to hear what was discussed.

[LAMetroGuy]

I went, the developer just went over the project and showed the difference from the original plan to the revised plan, showing a slender taller tower. Then it was a lengthy Q/A session. Mostly people were concerned about the following:

• Parking
• Traffic
• Length of Construction time

Its seems that the Long Beach Cafe is now not part of the land so the "smaller" area will be used as staging for the taller tower. As a result, folks from the Artaban building will now not have parking. If the LB Cafe was acquired (they are playing hard to get... $$$ inspired) then the developer can accomodate parking for the Artaban residents during construction. I think most of them shot themselves in the foot and supported keeping the "iconic" :rolleyes: restaurant but now since it is staying, they have no parking. Oops! I think that the Artaban building is rather ugly and it should also be razed... just my opinion.

Another person asked if there were any laws that protected his views (he lives at the Villa Riviera) and his entire view would be obstructed by the Gateway Tower. The response was that this project location is entitled to unlimited height and something would be built there anyway... just be glad the developer is being respectful and conscious of the views.

Another person asked... why isn’t' the site being considered for public use... like a park. The answer was that there was a huge beach (Pacific Ocean) a few hundred feet from the site.

Another person asked there was enough parking for the residents, retail and employees of retail. The answer was... yes, built to the city's requirements.

Another person complained a right turn lane was going to be removed (southbound Alamitos street, turning right onto Ocean). I drove by this morning and there is no right turn lane, nothing will be removed.

Most of the people there were not in support of the project. A couple of people made supporting statements. One guy stated that all the talk of parking would actually add to traffic... that people moving to downtown should embrace the urban hood and walk or take public transportation.

It was interesting, I like the design of the tower... I am pretty sure it will be built. The developer said that groundbreaking should be in 18 months and then about 24 to 30 months of construction. :hell:

[InsExchLoft_dweller]

Well July came and went (well almost) and the hotel esterel did not break ground at the promenade...

anyone know what's going on?

[LAMetroGuy]

i was hopeing you could tell us since that parking lot is used by the residents from the IE.

[LB Life07]

Thanks for the update LAMG....18 months seems like a long time, I wish they would start much sooner than that but I guess It's good enough that the project will most likely be built. It just seems like we do a lot of waiting for things here in LB. Edgewater should have been finished by now, 150 w. ocean should have started by now and the Hotel Esterel should have started......we have no problem getting mid rises started but the high rises take forever.

[InsExchLoft_dweller]

i was hopeing you could tell us since that parking lot is used by the residents from the IE.

The city has made arrangements to move our parking lot next to the American Hotel ONCE construction starts... But that doesn't really tell us a whole lot does it?

The last meeting I went to at Kings the developer said it would start no later then mid July... i was just wondering if anyone heard anything that might have changed things.

[LAMetroGuy]

The city has made arrangements to move our parking lot next to the American Hotel ONCE construction starts... But that doesn't really tell us a whole lot does it?

The last meeting I went to at Kings the developer said it would start no later then mid July... i was just wondering if anyone heard anything that might have changed things.

No that doesn't tell you a whole lot. Hopefully it will happen sooner than later!

[drisee]

Im curious to know if anyone on the forum attended the meeting they had monday night for the shoreline gateway project!! if so I would like to hear what was discussed.

I attended this meeting as well and it was really interesting. LAmetroguy gave a great review. I believe The District paper is going to write an article on the meeting so i look forward to reading that.

Once people started bitching about parking and traffic it was like a crazy train of the same type questions.

Downinit, great post from earlier. I'm glad to see that somebody have a vision of the future that doesn't involve just sitting in metal boxes. We should stop voting against mobility options and really embrace the lifestyle change.

I think shoreline gateway is solid, if anything i would love to see it go taller. I'm sure the retail will sit empty.

Btw, i don't remember who it was that made the comment about jobs in the downtown, perhaps it was Downinit but that's such an important point. We seem to be building so many condos but no real job/new industry movement seems to be happening. Tired of long beach being a commuter city...if the downtown really wants to grow it needs new industry and commercial development to balance out all the condos.

[mikedor]

It's been a while since i've updated, but the action here is getting hot and heavy. It seems like every week there's a new excuse to enter our apartment to get something else up to Condo Code.

First it was some electrical work in the kitchen and bathroom, and a trip to the balcony and storage out there for a little of the same. However, they put a new switch outside for the light on my balcony, only now, it's waterproof.

Umm... wish I would have known the switch wasn't waterproof before.

Yesterday, I received notice that there were great things happening for the residents of the building, and the developers think I will really like them! (seriously, that's the tone of the opening of the letter) The letter went on to say that the building was being fumigated, and my wife, my cat and I would have the wonderful pleasure of preparing our apartment for the fumigation, and then spend 3 enchanting nights at the beautiful Vegabond Inn on Ocean and Alamitos.

Anyone know which city council member I should call to get information regarding my rights?

I am a very tolerant and non-confrontational person, but I do not believe that I am being treated fairly.

Thanks for any insight.

Michael Kedor

[staraman]

I'd start looking for another place to live asap and forget the headaches.... you will have to keep moving in and out during the conversion process.

On top of which, if you want to buy and you stay put to have first dibs it usually is not worth it.

The developer will know that you do not want to leave and because of that you will have little leverage in negotiating price.

When Lennar was doing a conversion in Valencia called the Madison a lot of tenants wanted to buy, but mark my words those that came in from the outside definately got better deals.

Funny thing is after all the hoopla... because the housing market got slow they just re-rented the units as luxury apts. They will likely sell as condos in a few years when things heat up again.

But even if something similar were to happen at your place and after the conversion they decided to keep them as apartments expect to pay substantially higher rent.

So again if it was me, I'd move to another apt. or go buy something while the market is slow and capitalize on the deals that are out there now.

[regboi21]

Did anyone noticed that most of the properties/buildings along long beach blvd from east 3rd st to east willow st are being demolished and redeveloped example the olive court project the new blockbuster store that was built 5 or 6 years ago the abandoned parking garage which will become a king taco fast food restuarant by that car wash place near the pacific coast highway metro blue line station the new shopping center example the 99 cent store which is across the street from the social security building and those buildings right by the anaheim station that was torn down for new construction. Redevelopment along the long beach blvd corridor is really going along nicley and is a big improvement for long beach california dont you all think. well peace and love my people

[lbguymetro]

ive been reading messages in this forum even before i moved out here in long beach...ive noticed that some people commented that they do not like national chains or businesses in order to make long beach a unique city...i have nothing against transforming long beach in a way to achieve its own feel and character but im pretty convinced that we somehow need national chains to attract more people to the area...i wanna see the pike and pine street busy !!! ive been here for two years now but i have to go somewhere else to shop...i actually came from LA and i kept going back to the grove because of the busy but friendly ambiance as well as the relaxing social environment...if santa monica's third street was able to pull it off with national chain stores...why cant long beach do it too ? i dont mean that the city has to be overflowed with these but they may boost life to the pike....on the other hand , i just dont really like cityplace where you find walmart...at the end of the day, i dont wanna walk and shop in these areas...just too stressful for me...on a positive note, the restaurants at the rainbow harbor are doing a very good job...lastly, i do hope that all these proposed construction in ocean boulevard will finally pull off so it can completely turn the area into a first-class upscale neighborhood....

[drisee]

ive been reading messages in this forum even ...i have nothing against transforming long beach in a way to achieve its own feel and character but im pretty convinced that we somehow need national chains to attract more people to the area...i wanna see the pike and pine street busy !!!

I would have to disagree, I just don't see the stores moving into area before the people come. I think downtown needs to increase it's draw and develop its unique personality in other ways such as such continuing to beautify the area, creating better public space such as addressing city hall, becoming more sustainable, having greater mobility options, demanding and then supporting a higher level of architecture and quality building, etc. these are things it could do right now to attract a higher class of people and then perhaps down the line it can focus on new museums, better infastructure such as modern public transportation programs, etc.

I've always thought that some national chains make sense but not all of them. you mentioned that shoreline village is doing a good job and then say that you want to turn the area into an upscale first class neighborhood. I hate to tell you this but Chiles and Outback steakhouse don't scream first class and upscale. I think i know what you mean and i don't hate on that area but i sure wish that it was more distinctive.

i'm not a pike believer. i've mentioned in other posts that i would rather just tear it down and start over. perhaps it can be saved but it needs drastic changes due to its piss poor design.

for me it's all about making sure that you're sending the right messages moving forward even on the smallest scale to make people recognize a better future. it's going to be hard to overcome the messages of the past such as the pike and city place. walmart/city place is our crutch for sure. but great cities aren't just defined by their retail of course.

[LB Life07]

^ I think both of you make a lot of sense!! I think you need individuality in a city, uniqueness.....and you also need a sense of modernization with chains.....especially since there are a lot of people who like these places. I think there is a place for this and when both can co-exist with each other it's even better!! I think a great example of this is second street in Belmont shore!! there is a good mixture of chains and Independent spots to choose from and all of them seem to co-exist and do good in there own way!! I think we should attempt to model downtown in this fashion with a much more urban twist to it!! Chain restaurants never hurt anyone and all cities need them.....look at the upside!! if a chain is interested in your area, it means it sees promise in your area!! If no chains were interested, we would have reason to worry!! I would like to see a Macy's come to the downtown area.....I think that should have been what Wal Mart is now!!

[luvLBC]

i was down there with my partner last nite watching movie which is our favorite place to go at the Pike. most of the time we go to Borders to grab a coffee and sweet and browsing to keep us entertaining. however, i am still waiting other stores to be open or when they will add more retails. i see alot of restaurants surrounding which is good, we need definetly need more retails to keep people around. most the time we see people coming out of the theater and straight to their cars. they don't get a chance to hang out in the area, because there is not much retails beside long beach clothing co., borders and furniture store. what about the hotel?? that has been saying coming soon and what about the laugh factory?? that sign been saying coming soon since the pike open. i do hope they can draw more retails down there so we can stay little longer.

[lbguymetro]

yeah , people have nowhere to go after they eat!.....very good example on belmont shore...thats what i exactly mean when we want national chains in our neighborhood! u cant build residences if you dont have something that will allow people to see what theyre gonna get when they move in.....id tell you macy's could be boring but hey, we have needs and i always wanna move around the mall and see whats for sale during special occasions...in short we have to convince people that this is a place where they could work, play and definitely LIVE....upscale could be discriminating but in the business world, that means economy and investment for serious investors...and it also means low crime rates....tear down the pike and build something like the grove! see, the grove has retails too! and i love banana republic also as well as gap especially when you have to buy affordable gifts....a dancing water fountain like the one at the grove would be a great addition to the pike...what about a band at the pike on the weekends ....you are right , we need places where we could sit down...and watch a concert going on..long beach has a great potential at this time .....little mistakes may have been done but its part of the process.....what about the pine avenue? too bad ..just blocks away , it transforms into a ghetto where u find walmart and cheap stores...i need not say more.....its horrible......macy's would have been way, way, way better! i think its time to create "tear down or transform the pike movement!" ...im just so frustrated coz i really wanna see upscale shopping in downtown long beach :( which should have been a primary focus eversince....not too late i hope so ....the housing market is down and people wanna make sure what long beach has to offer when they have to buy a property here..... dont get me wrong, i love long beach now.....just cant wait for it to fully blossom like marina del rey or santa monica where celebrities even drop by to shop..:)

[drisee]

the pike just sucks in general. bringing in more chain retail isn't going to help it out. plus, there aren't that many big spaces left in there.

belmont shore has been mentioned and i think it should be pointed out that belmont has many more no name stores then name/chain stores. people definitely aren't flocking to 2nd street to shop at the gap or banana republic, those are not the draw. The draw is that you're getting a unique experience from the restaurants to the shops, etc. All presented in nice pedestrian friendly setting.

like i said a few cooler chains might make sense for pine but i would much rather see distinctive restaurants and retail. any brand that you might want to buy from Macys can also be carried inside a specialty retailer.

also, i would hate to see downtown long beach turn into santa monica. long beach should be distinctive and certainly not pattern itself after something that already exists an hour away.