Long Beach Construction (Planned, Proposed, & Current)

[So cal 562]

Hello Everyone! First time poster, long time follower of skyscraper forum. I just wanted to say that Construction of the new Courthouse in Long Beach has been going on for some time already. I didn't find any mention of this anywhere so I thought I add it here Will be taking a trip to the Downtown area and snap some pictures for you guys

[CityKid]

I just spent a couple of days in Long Beach during my spring break. Here are some photos of things I saw around town.

First, the Senior Arts Colony near Anaheim and Long Beach Blvd:






The new Long Beach Courthouse is also coming along. This is from Magnolia and Broadway looking west:


Maine and Broadway looking east:


You can see how this adds to the urban fabric of Broadway:


The Welcome to Long Beach Mural at Gallery421 next door:


Last but not least is the new parklet (a Southern California first) in front of Lola's Mexican Restaurant in Retro Row on 4th Street:

[CityKid]

^^^ Welcome to the board So cal 562! Things have died down a bit here with the slow economy and the death of the RDA, but hopefully, we will see more projects in the works in the near future.

[CityKid]

Double post.

[Skyhi]

Nice shots CityKid! Newbe on here too.

[CityKid]

Welcome to the board, Skyhi!

[CityKid]

The Long Beach Post is reporting that Armory Park has been selected to receive $2.8 million from state grants in addition to $900,000 already granted the project. Armory Park is the conception of architect and writer for the LBPost, Brian Ulaszewski. The money will go towards converting part of one of the most dangerous intersections in Long Beach into park space in the vicinity of St. Anthony's High School and the Museum of Latin American Art (MoLAA). This would also provide public space in one of the more densely populated neighborhoods of Long Beach where there currently is little.


Photo Courtesy of the Long Beach Post

[regboi24]

Hey this is reggie and i look up on artx on facebook asked them why the project hasnt started construction yet sinse it was supposed to start on 2010 and was told that the project is currently on hold because of the redevelopment agencies termination and the funding for the new project is gone so the art exchange is in a temporary location at the moment on 3rd st.

[CityKid]

Here is a rather confusingly written article from the Gazette titled "Parking Agreement Paves Way for Pine Avenue Health Care Tenant".

By Jonathan Van Dyke
Staff Writer



A new downtown health care provider could be on the way for Long Beach — and with it as many as 1,000 new jobs.

Tuesday, the City Council unanimously approved a 12-year lease for more than 500 parking spots that could service the former Press-Telegram and Meeker-Baker buildings near the intersection of Sixth Street and Pine Avenue.

Michelle and John Molina, owners of developer Sixth & Pine Development, LLC, have been meeting with city staff to figure out a way to accommodate a potential tenant for the two buildings. Details could not be fully divulged at this time, Michelle Molina said, but the tenant is likely in the health care industry, and would ultimately have between 800 and 1,000 employees and produce $2 billion in revenue for the city during its first 10 years.

From what I was able to glean from the article, they would adapt the Press Telegram building and adjacent buildings for a potential health care client. The whole paragraph on parking seems to be saying that they would lease parking lots somewhere else in Long Beach in addition to the buildings and shuttle the employees back and forth. If approved by the city and the deal is a go, the Press Telegram building would be the first to be occupied but the adjacent historic buildings would take longer to adapt.

I like the idea of adding a large commercial tenant to North Pine but the whole parking deal seems odd, if only because it's been explained so poorly. What does everyone else think?

[paczki]

I think it's odd that apparently the plan is to lease parking at Kilroy Center, about four miles away, or some other distant place. Apparently the employees will not be downtown residents!

Pure speculation on my part, since the PT building is owned by the Molinas, perhaps the large health care industry tenant is Molina Health Care, currently at the corner of Ocean and Golden Shore. That whole intersection, including the Union Bank Building, the Molina building, and the City National Bank Building, are planned to be torn down and rebuilt as a new five building development. I think it already has zoning approval. Skip Keesal offered to build a new HQ for the Port of LB. Maybe all this with the PT building is part of the plan?

Just guesswork!

[SKV11000]

I received a 'Notice of Public Hearing' in the mail a couple days ago dated March 15, 2012
Project Location: 650 Pine (a few blocks away from us)
Permit(s) Requested: Certificate of Appropriateness
Proposed: request for a new, six-story approximately 127,000 Sq foot building within and above the retained exterior street facade of the Meeker-Baker Building, a designated local historic landmark.
Scheduled Hearing of the Cultural Heritage Commission

Meeting Date: June 11, 2012
Meeting Time 5:30 PM
Place: 1st Floor Council Chamber
---

Makes me smile that they're interested in saving the facade.

[CityKid]

Originally Posted by paczki

Skip Keesal offered to build a new HQ for the Port of LB. Maybe all this with the PT building is part of the plan?

Just guesswork!

Interesting! I didn't realize that Skip Keesal was trying to sell the Port of LB on his development. I had read about the drama around the recusal of one of the members of the Long Beach Harbor Commission. The plot thickens. Either way, I hope the Port of LB ends up downtown and helps improve the economy over there.

[CityKid]

Originally Posted by SKV11000

I received a 'Notice of Public Hearing' in the mail a couple days ago dated March 15, 2012
Project Location: 650 Pine (a few blocks away from us)
Permit(s) Requested: Certificate of Appropriateness
Proposed: request for a new, six-story approximately 127,000 Sq foot building within and above the retained exterior street facade of the Meeker-Baker Building, a designated local historic landmark.
Scheduled Hearing of the Cultural Heritage Commission

Meeting Date: June 11, 2012
Meeting Time 5:30 PM
Place: 1st Floor Council Chamber
---

Makes me smile that they're interested in saving the facade.

Me too. And thanks for the heads up on the meeting.

[CityKid]

I took some pictures while at home a couple of weeks ago.

Here's parklet #2 for Long Beach outside of Berlin Bistro and Fingerprints in the East Village:





The new state courthouse has glass!

[CityKid]

I, unfortunately, did not have time to photograph the Senior Arts Colony on Anaheim during my last visit, but the Long Beach Business Journal has a recent photo:

June 5, 2012 – Construction of the Long Beach Senior Arts Colony is moving along on 1.74 acres
on the southwest corner of Long Beach Boulevard and Anaheim Street. The Transit Oriented
Development provides seniors with easy access to the Metro Blue Line light rail and a major
Long Beach Transit bus corridor.
(Photograph by the Business Journal’s Thomas McConville)

[dragonsky]

Originally Posted by Curbed LA

Long Beach's Icky Colorado Lagoon Getting All Cleaned Up
Monday, June 11, 2012, by James Brasuell

Phase II of an ongoing project to restore the previously gross Colorado Lagoon recreation area in Long Beach is moving along smoothly. The Long Beach Press-Telegram reports that by July contractors will have moved about 59,000 cubic yards of sediment to the port. Phase I, finished in November 2010, decreased litter at the 13 acre lagoon via upgrades around the lagoon and a nearby golf course: "The low-flow diversion of urban runoff to redirect it into the sanitary sewer system; installation of trash-traps to prevent debris from entering the lagoon from the three remaining major storm drain outlets; and cleaning the culvert to improve tidal circulation in the lagoon; and install a graded channel with plants to help naturally filter golf-course runoff." The next phase of the restoration project will construct an open channel to replace the underground drain to Marine Stadium. However, that project has yet to seek funding for design or construction.

Read More: http://la.curbed.com/archives/2012/0...cleaned_up.php

[regboi24]

Hey everyone here is my ideas for some sites on Long Beach blvd near metro rail stations. Site 1 has el polo loco, the brick bldg were spoon restaurant is, taco bell, auto shop bldg, ymca, and denny's most of the bldgs except the brick and auto shop(could be turned into a art gallery) bldgs would be demoed for a 7 story mixed use bldg with retail the parking lot next to the spoon restaurant, n waite ct and taco bell could be replaced with a walkway with seating areas and landscaping. Site 2 640 Long Beach Boulevard or mcdonalds and a parking lot in its place could be a 10-20 story urban hotel with retail. Site 3 Carls Jr, check cashing bldg/backhouse, L shaped bldg, princess bridal shop, and the 3 apt bldgs could be replaced with a L shaped 7 story mixed use bldg with retail. Site 4 a historical blue building maybe next to Tony's itailian Food(could be relocated or moved to another location, and the lib tax service bldg could be replaced with a 3 story office bldg.

[Truth789]

Hey guys, I know of some good new stuff coming into Downtown. Looks like Downtown Long Beach is starting to sustain itself on its own...

1. Promenade Construction starting in a few weeks from Broadway to Third.
2. Harvey Milk Park starting construction in next few weeks
3. The Stave Wine Bar coming into the Promenade
4. American Hotel started construction and there will be a restaurant, and ad agency apparently
5. Millworks is working on the 6th and Pine site...

[CityKid]

Awesome news! I'm living abroad for the next few months so I'd appreciate any photos that anyone can take and post!

Truth789, do you have a source on the American Hotel project and Pine and 6th? I wasn't able to find anything online about them breaking ground.

Here's more info from the developer about the American Hotel adaptive reuse.

[luvLBC]

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North Promenade and American Hotel