Long Beach Construction (Planned, Proposed, & Current)

[LAMetroGuy]

^ yeah they took the sign down but they are working a lot inside so I am sure things are moving along, its just that the sign gets in the way of the demo and transformation into "its a grind".

[JDRCRASH]

Hmm, seems like more progress here in Long Beach. Man, those lofts available at West Ocean are sooo attractive! But they're at least $500,000+

[drisee]

Originally Posted by LAMetroGuy

Honey, believe me... I don't take it personally. Like I said, I don't look at the world like you do and I am very happy about that. I truly believe that that some of these vendors/retailers will come to downtown. So just because you have been running into a wall for a while doesn't mean that I need to follow you into the same wall. I can and do question various proposals for downtown, but this news is new news and why not enjoy it before Debbie downers like you come running alone with their negative spin, which could very easily be a positive spin if you only let yourself be free of your negativity.

I'm a realist. Not overly negative and not overly positive, just looking at it from a realistic point of view. What wall an I running into btw, that doesn't really make sense.

Also, how is somebody saying that they're pursuing large scale retail for downtown new news? That story has been running for years.

I would be more positive if i saw some fresh ideas being introduced instead of the same old stale ones. cities around the world are making strides and our little tiny downtown can't pull it's head out of its ass, and instead continues to make mistakes that dig a deeper hole. That's not being negative, that's just telling it like it is. And no i just don't complain, i do my part where i can to make things better. it's just hard when it's always an uphill battle.

[LAMetroGuy]

Originally Posted by drisee

I'm a realist. Not overly negative and not overly positive, just looking at it from a realistic point of view.

You can be a pessimist realist or an optimist realist, they are not mutually exclusive.

Originally Posted by drisee

What wall an I running into btw, that doesn't really make sense.

Ummm, I guess you don't even know your own posts which is why things don't make sense to you:

Originally Posted by drisee

How many times can you run into the same wall before you start to question if your same ol' theory for breaking through it is working, or if perhaps a new strategy is needed.

Originally Posted by drisee

Also, how is somebody saying that they're pursuing large scale retail for downtown new news? That story has been running for years.

What makes this new news is that it is specific in terms of retailers that the city is in discussions with, unless you knew this and didn't care to share?

Originally Posted by drisee

I would be more positive if i saw some fresh ideas being introduced instead of the same old stale ones.

For example???

Originally Posted by drisee

cities around the world are making strides

Yes, please don't be so specific... cities around the world...

Originally Posted by drisee

our little tiny downtown can't pull it's head out of its ass

don't really understand what you mean by this, but I am used to your generalities and unspecific specifics.... like this one:

Originally Posted by drisee

instead continues to make mistakes that dig a deeper hole.

Originally Posted by drisee

That's not being negative, that's just telling it like it is.

You go gurl!

Originally Posted by drisee

And no i just don't complain, i do my part where i can to make things better. it's just hard when it's always an uphill battle.

So tell me what exactly have you don to "make things better"... P-U-L-E-E-Z

drisee... let me be the firs to tell you that NO city is perfect (not even the ones around the world making strides ). Having said that, do I think LB has problems, YES. Does LB have challanges attracting retail along Pine? Yes. But lets be clear, Pine Ave has a huge lack of retail so the fact that they have hired a retail consulting firm who has opened communications with retailers is, in my opinion, heading in the right direction. If nothing comes from it, then it is what it is... but you can't fault them for trying. Praise the effort, don't shoot it down before it even takes off... stop being such a pessimistic realist.

[InsExchLoft_dweller]

keep in mind that landlords on pine could easily fill these stores with shitty retail.

I applaud the city from keeping them from doing this.

[drisee]

metroguy. thanks for taking the time to break down my post/posts. i wish i had time to do the same but only have time for a few quick thoughts. you seem to be pretty irritated by me. you're firing back in a very argumentative way. perhaps i'm reading you wrong though. i just want to have a nice chat or debate if need be, no reason to get all jumpy.

btw, you pointed out the whole wall thing. i asked you what wall i'm running into and you pointed out that i said "How many times can you run into the same wall before you start to question if your same ol' theory" in an earlier post. The wall being run into isn't a wall that I am running into, it's a wall i feel the city has been running into. it's a simple figure of speach, not sure why you didn't get that but wanted to clear that up.

couple quick thoughts.
- yes other cities around the world are making strides, specifically our own city in the area of 4th street/retro row. they're making great strides to add interest and depth to their area and it has nothing to do with national retailers. for other cities you can look at venice, pasadena, claremont, silverlake. these are all local examples you can drive or take the train to for some.

- yes our city does not learn from its mistakes, specifically city place/the pike > aqua > city place lofts > blu > west gateway project now under construction. all examples of crappy projects that have hurt and continue to hurt our image and draw.

- It's been out there for a while now what retailers our fine city is hoping for, you're telling me that was the first time you've ever heard trader joes brought up for the DT?

- I've done a lot to get involved, from various committees to neighborhood groups to doing things on my own such as cleanup, watering trees, etc. what have you done, not challenging you, just curious. not sure who else reads this message board but it's probably pretty easy to figure out who i am for those that know me. although i like most everybody else on the ol' internet like to use my own little moniker.

also, this goes out to insurexchdweller. based off your reply from below i would be careful not to drink too much of the city's koolaid. While i agree with keeping shitty retail out, there is a whole world to be discovered between shitty retail we don't want and the likes of national tenants like chicos, urban outfitters and H&M. Once again visit the cities that i've outlined above for a better picture. this is why i believe we should question the strategy and think different. having national guys would be great for a downtown i know, but balancing that out with lesser known boutique level retailers would give us a sense of place and uniqueness that i think we should really be striving for. I hope you all realize what the homerun strategy implies before you go supporting it.

btw metroguy...are you a man or woman. i'm a man and all your "you go girl" type comments are starting to weird me out since i assume you're a guy = metroguy.

[LAMetroGuy]

Originally Posted by drisee

metroguy. thanks for taking the time to break down my post/posts. i wish i had time to do the same but only have time for a few quick thoughts. you seem to be pretty irritated by me. you're firing back in a very argumentative way. perhaps i'm reading you wrong though. i just want to have a nice chat or debate if need be, no reason to get all jumpy.

btw, you pointed out the whole wall thing. i asked you what wall i'm running into and you pointed out that i said "How many times can you run into the same wall before you start to question if your same ol' theory" in an earlier post. The wall being run into isn't a wall that I am running into, it's a wall i feel the city has been running into. it's a simple figure of speach, not sure why you didn't get that but wanted to clear that up.

couple quick thoughts.
- yes other cities around the world are making strides, specifically our own city in the area of 4th street/retro row. they're making great strides to add interest and depth to their area and it has nothing to do with national retailers. for other cities you can look at venice, pasadena, claremont, silverlake. these are all local examples you can drive or take the train to for some.

- yes our city does not learn from its mistakes, specifically city place/the pike > aqua > city place lofts > blu > west gateway project now under construction. all examples of crappy projects that have hurt and continue to hurt our image and draw.

- It's been out there for a while now what retailers our fine city is hoping for, you're telling me that was the first time you've ever heard trader joes brought up for the DT?

- I've done a lot to get involved, from various committees to neighborhood groups to doing things on my own such as cleanup, watering trees, etc. what have you done, not challenging you, just curious. not sure who else reads this message board but it's probably pretty easy to figure out who i am for those that know me. although i like most everybody else on the ol' internet like to use my own little moniker.

also, this goes out to insurexchdweller. based off your reply from below i would be careful not to drink too much of the city's koolaid. While i agree with keeping shitty retail out, there is a whole world to be discovered between shitty retail we don't want and the likes of national tenants like chicos, urban outfitters and H&M. Once again visit the cities that i've outlined above for a better picture. this is why i believe we should question the strategy and think different. having national guys would be great for a downtown i know, but balancing that out with lesser known boutique level retailers would give us a sense of place and uniqueness that i think we should really be striving for. I hope you all realize what the homerun strategy implies before you go supporting it.

btw metroguy...are you a man or woman. i'm a man and all your "you go girl" type comments are starting to weird me out since i assume you're a guy = metroguy.

Since you have such little time, thanks for your "quick" thoughts . To the majority of your response I call "Bull $hit". Not worth responding too. And to your last comment of the man vs. woman thing, if things like that "weird you out" then you have other problems.

[LAMetroGuy]

Long Beach Business Journal Real Estate & Development Updates


433: J.J. Newberry Adaptive Reuse – The project is currently under construction and Western Imperial 2000 LLC expects completion within 12 months.

500 W. Broadway: Ensemble Investments LLC has proposed construction of a 15 story, 176 unit condo building. The project is on hold and there is no time frame for when it is expected to move forward.

Blu: 5 story mixed use development with 82 for sale condos. Standard Pacific Homes is targeting a grand opening in June.

Cedar Court: 245 West Broadway LLC plans to incorporate 94 residential units into a parking structure of the former State Office Building. The city does not currently have an agreement with the developer for the site and says it will wait to see how 245 Broadway plans to move forward.

Edgewater on Ocean: The developer is still interested in moving forward with the development and is currently reevaluating the project’s design, including adding additional units but making them smaller.

OceanAire: Intergulf and Lennar project is fully entitled and the developers are waiting until market conditions improve to submit final working drawings to the city.

Pine Pacific Block: Williams Dame & Atkins plan to develop a mixed use development. Current plans call for a 5 story building with 175 residential units and 7280 square feet of retail and a 12 story building with 186 residential units and 18,670 square feet of retail. Conceptual plans have been completed and project entitlements are underway.

Press Telegram Lofts: OCTOBERfive Development LLC plans to build a 22 story tower, and a 5 to 8 story podium with 542 for sale lofts. Groundbreaking is expected to begin in July followed by 18 to 22 months of construction. Occupancy is expected by the 3rd quarter of 2010.

Shoreline Gateway: 2 towers of 35 and 18 stories with 356 units and 13,561 sqf of retail space. Construction of the first phase, 35 story tower, to begin in the first quarter of 2010 and finish during the first quarter of 2012. The second phase, 18 story tower, will be market-driven.

Aloft Hotel: 185 to 20 room hotel, the façade of the American Hotel will be incorporated into a separate building that would be used as additional meeting room space and/or a gallery. The project would include a plaza area featuring functional public art.

Avia Hotel: Lodgworks luxury Avia hotel is currently under construction and is set to open midsummer 2009.

Coast Hotel: Ensemble Hotel Partners are renovating an 200 room hotel at 700 Queensway Dr. and is expected to be completed in May 2009.

Golden Shore Master Plan: Slated for the site at Ocean Blvd and Golden Shore, plans for the estimated $1.25 billion Golden Shore Master Plan calls for 350,000 square feet of office space and 1320 residential units in five high-rise buildings. Affiliated Development inc. submitted initial applications to the city last November, and a public scoping hearing will be held in late May or early June. The entitlement process and completion of the EIR is expected to take 14 months, followed by construction drawings. Groundbreaking for the first phase is not expected for at least 3 years, with completion slated for two and a half years after that. Full completion is expected in 2016.

Hotel Esterel: D’Orsay International Partner’s $50 million dollar project received final permits late last year and groundbreaking is expected to occur in June or July followed by 16 month construction period. Plans feature a 7 story 105,600 square foot building with 165 rooms and 8,875 sq of retail space.

Hyatt Place: LB Redevelopment Agency on May 5, approved entering into a six month exclusive negotiating agreement with Urban Growth Long Beach LLC for the development of a 160 to 192 room Hyatt Place hotel on the northwest corner of LB Blvd. and 1st street.

Marriott Residence Inn Hotel: Ensemble Hotel partners recently completed site remediation work for 600 Queensway Dr. which was occupied by Naga Restaurant. An official groundbreaking ceremony for the 11 story hotel with 178 rooms was held in February. Currently, construction is slated for completion by July 2009.

[drisee]

well, you can't say that i haven't tried to have both an educated and stimulating conversation. i guess that's not going to happen with you metroguy. instead i'm sure that i'll get more "that's bull shit" comments like you're a five year old that can't think of anything else to say or add to the conversation.

instead we'll look forward to your copy and paste skills as you continue to astonish us with your press releases and bits of totally outdated news from around long beach. fyi, just because a newspaper prints it doesn't mean that it's up to date or accurate. for someone that seemed to be clued in, you're pretty out of touch.

have fun continuing to stay drunk on the Koolaid...and thanks for playing.

[LAMetroGuy]

drisee... please point out your "educated" conversation? too funny!

The reference to your response being "bullshit" is just that, don't like it too bad!

Your "couple" of quick thoughts (more like four):

- yes other cities around the world are making strides, specifically our own city in the area of 4th street/retro row. they're making great strides to add interest and depth to their area and it has nothing to do with national retailers. for other cities you can look at venice, pasadena, claremont, silverlake. these are all local examples you can drive or take the train to for some. Wow, you ventured into Southern California.... guess you haven't been outside of Southern California since your world is limited to venice, pasadena, claremont, silverlake and Long Bech. Again, BS answer! You didn't address the "around the world" part!

- yes our city does not learn from its mistakes, specifically city place/the pike > aqua > city place lofts > blu > west gateway project now under construction. all examples of crappy projects that have hurt and continue to hurt our image and draw. This is just a matter of opinon, you not liking these projects doesn't make it a fact. No matter how hard you try... I deal with the facts and not with your opinions. Again, BS answer!

- It's been out there for a while now what retailers our fine city is hoping for, you're telling me that was the first time you've ever heard trader joes brought up for the DT? Not those specifically, I have heard rumors of Trader Joes and urban outfitters but not West Elm, American Eagle, Talbots, Whole Foods, Fresh &Easy, Chico's, and Jamba Juice. Please point out where this has been "OUT THERE"... bet you can't! Again, BS answer!

- I've done a lot to get involved, from various committees to neighborhood groups to doing things on my own such as cleanup, watering trees, etc. what have you done, not challenging you, just curious. not sure who else reads this message board but it's probably pretty easy to figure out who i am for those that know me. although i like most everybody else on the ol' internet like to use my own little moniker. Same, I'm involved in fund raisers, PAC meetings, attend City Council meetings and voice my opinion, etc. Okay, so this is your only non BS answer!

Bottomline, you and your negative posts are ALWAYS a real downer... i'm not saying that my aphorisms are any better BUT let me tell you that my cut and paste skills are not meant to impress you. My postings on this thread (whether they are cut and paste or other) are meant to share information that you may not have seen. So if you are looking for me to wow you with my skills, that will take a face to face meeting. Until then, don't mock me by accusing me to be a 5th grader and please stop with the negative attitude, you only bring everyone down with you. It takes more energy to frown than to smile... a cliché I know... but think about it!

Ohh and one more thing... the whole kool aid references, &

[luvLBC]

I am goin to have to agree with LAmetroguy. I am so sick of tired everytime I log on to see was goin on in and around in Long Beach area and all I read your blog is about negatives of our city. Yes, is put me down and depress to see all the craps you talk about. Can we all just think about excitements and all the happening in downtown. I love going down there and feel the city life instead driving up to LA that swallow up my gas. I see changes in downtown since I was a kid where we always shopping on the Pine Ave. before they torn down and built a mall that should never happen. It became a ghost town. Where is the city nightlife go, we have to drive to LA everytime we go out to the club, cuz there were none in downtown. Since then, the city itself now proving and progressing to see the downtown is back alive and well. I am so graceful to see all the happening and the nightlife in downtown is back!!! Ok now can we get along!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ruby]

I drove by the Laugh Factory and saw some activities going on. Some of the doors/windows were open and some construction workers were hauling carpets in and out so I am guessing it is a good sign. Hope that it'll open soon.

[yibs]

http://www.lbpost.com/newsdesk.php?i...mp;where=#1185

http://www.yelp.com/topic/long-beach...-beach-history

Article on the 10 worst decisions in Long Beach history. I agree with all of it, except Disney by the sea.

[BrandonJXN]

So much drama in the LBC....

[JDRCRASH]

Originally Posted by Ruby

I drove by the Laugh Factory and saw some activities going on. Some of the doors/windows were open and some construction workers were hauling carpets in and out so I am guessing it is a good sign. Hope that it'll open soon.

Whats making me laugh is that little tussle between LAMetroGuy and drisee.

[LB Life07]

Does anybody know what's going on at the corner of 5th and Pacific! There are bull dozers out there doing a lot of digging! They just tore down a building on that corner about 2 weeks ago but now it looks as if they are preparing to build something new there!

[ChrisLA]

Originally Posted by LB Life07

Does anybody know what's going on at the corner of 5th and Pacific! There are bull dozers out there doing a lot of digging! They just tore down a building on that corner about 2 weeks ago but now it looks as if they are preparing to build something new there!

A temporary parking lot for now. I actually received a noticed a few days ago about renting spaces to park your car in this temporary lot. I already threw it away since I have no need for a stall since I have two in my building. I believe the notice was from the city.

[mikedor]

Originally Posted by LB Life07

Does anybody know what's going on at the corner of 5th and Pacific! There are bull dozers out there doing a lot of digging! They just tore down a building on that corner about 2 weeks ago but now it looks as if they are preparing to build something new there!

It's definitely not temporary... before they started razing the building, they had notices up that it will be a parking lot for the employees of Farmers and Merchants on Pine, and now they're digging. Soon they'll be laying new concrete, and, hopefully, building a ramp. This would be great, as my view is to the south from my building, and a new parking ramp would guarantee that view would not be obstructed.

I, too, received a notice for parking. It was for the lot next to the Dolly Varden Hotel, not for that space. I'm assuming your notice was for the same, as a coupe of my neighbors in the lofts also received the same notice.

[Ruby]

I also received a notice from the redevelopment agency that I can apply for parking at the corner of Long Beach Blvd and Broadway, across from B of A. Do they do this every year or this is something new? $25 monthly parking fee is not a bad deal. I could use an additional parking but it is a little too far.

[ChrisLA]

Originally Posted by mikedor

I, too, received a notice for parking. It was for the lot next to the Dolly Varden Hotel, not for that space. I'm assuming your notice was for the same, as a coupe of my neighbors in the lofts also received the same notice.

You're right, my mistake it was for the lot by the Dolly Varden Hotel.