Long Beach Construction (Planned, Proposed, & Current)

[LAMetroGuy]

Very cool news! I will pass by this weekend and take some pictures... this is very good news! I wish they would break ground on 100 Ocean... I believe this will happen sometime in May?

[LAMetroGuy]

NEW condo tower, looks about 17 stories... the address for this new tower should read 150 W. Ocean. This is a different tower than the 100 W. Ocean Tower.



TCA Selected to Design New Luxury High-Rise Condominum Project in Downtown Long Beach


IRVINE, CA -- Thomas P. Cox: Architects, Inc. (TCA) has been selected by Camden Development to design downtown Long Beach’s newest high-rise condominium tower. The project will be referred to as 150 Ocean Boulevard and is located on the corner of Ocean Boulevard and Pine Avenue.

Adjacent to the Pike at Rainbow Harbor retail complex, the blue-tinted glass and concrete 17-story tower will encompass 216 condominium homes ranging from approximately 700 to 2,000 square feet, according to associate Eric Olsen, AIA lead designer with the architectural firm. Camden Development estimates that construction on the new condo community is expected to begin in late 2005.

“This contemporary urban design will reflect both the influences of the local coastal resort environment and the existing urban architecture along Ocean Boulevard,” Olsen explained. “The city of Long Beach wanted a stylish high-rise tower that added some distinction to the city skyline and we are excited to be a part of the team that will be heading up that design process.”

150 Ocean Boulevard will include up to 12 luxury penthouses, a subterranean 3-story parking facility, 3,500 square feet of community space and an extensive pool deck that will be 85-feet above the ground level to maximize ocean views.

“My wife and I are residents of the city of Long Beach so this project took on a unique role for me as a lead designer,” said Olsen. “I am very familiar with the downtown area and it was important to me that TCA came to the table with a motif that would leave a lasting impression. 150 Ocean Boulevard will be a landmark resort community with incredible views of the Pacific Ocean and the surrounding coastal environment. In fact, it’s designed so every home will see the ocean. It will be an extraordinary place to live.”

Recently, CNN published an article detailing the zip codes in the United States with the largest median five-year price increases. According to this article, downtown Long Beach boasted the second largest median five-year price increases in the nation. With nearly 3,500 residential units planned or under construction, the area looks to continue its booming development.

Located in the center of the growing downtown area, 150 Ocean Boulevard residents will not only be near the Pike at Rainbow Harbor retail complex, but they will also be within walking distance of the Long Beach Convention Center, the Performing Arts Center, the Aquarium of the Pacific and the eclectic urban lifestyle offered along Beach Boulevard and lower Pine Avenue. 150 Ocean Boulevard will be located directly in front of turn #8 at the annual Long Beach Grand Prix that brings thousands of racecar enthusiasts and corporate sponsors to downtown Long Beach each year.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Nice, it keeps on growing. long beach is definitley hot right now.

[citywatch]

Someone posted in SSP's city discussion forum a few days ago a survey of the tallest new bldgs under construction in America right now & the West Ocean condo tower was one of the few projs in the LA area that I saw on that list.

DT LB is really leading the way when it comes to true highrise condo devlpt in So Ca (referring to hoods north of DT SD).

[Major AWACS]

It seems like Boeing has answered my question from 2 pages ago:

LONG BEACH � The Boeing Co. is expected to announce today that it will end production of the 717 the last commercial jetliner built in California and eliminate at least 750 jobs.
The aerospace giant will close the Long Beach plant that manufactures the 717, which traces its lineage to the McDonnell-Douglas Co., once orders for 18 of the planes are filled, according to an internal memo obtained by the Press-Telegram.

Boeing executives began informing workers of the program's termination at about 2 p.m. Thursday.

The last 717 will likely roll off the moving assembly line in mid-2006, Pat McKenna, vice president and general manager of the 717 program, wrote in a memo to employees.

--

More at http://www.presstelegram.com/Stories...652608,00.html

I'll ask again, anyone heard ideas or rumours about what the city could do with the 717 plant? Thanks!

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,
Capt-AWACS, You may now move about the cabin

[LAMetroGuy]

The Name of LB's Newest Baseball Team Is...



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

(January 13, 2005) -- The Long Beach "Armada" is the name of LB's newest baseball team, one of eight charter teams that will play in the new Golden Baseball League starting in May 2005.

The LB team selected its name from among 1,000+ entries submitted in a "Name the Team" contest, presented by Vons; team officials and Golden Baseball League execs selected the final name and logo. The winning name was submitted by LB resident Gina Coffey.

"We are confident that this is a name and logo the fans will embrace," said General Manager Mike Malinas. "The theme associated with the name, combined with an incredible logo gives our team a strong identity here in Long Beach," he added.

During Thursday's name-unveiling ceremony (held at St. Mary Medical Center), a banner was shown featuring the new Armada logo: a crusader in conquistador-like armor at the helm of a ship with Armada spelled out below in "nautical" style lettering. The team colors are Navy, Maroon, Tan and Blue.

The team's 2005 "Founding Partners" are VONS, the Long Beach Press Telegram and St. Mary Medical Center.

The Long Beach Armada has a web site at www.goldenbaseball.com/longbeach.

A written release said in part:


The Golden Baseball League, Presented by VONS, is an independent professional baseball league operating under a single-entity ownership model, with the League owning all the individual teams. The Golden Baseball League charter cities include: Chico, CA; Fullerton, CA; Long Beach, CA; Mesa, AZ; San Diego, CA; Surprise, AZ and Yuma, AZ . In late November the GBL reached a joint operating agreement with the Tijuana (Mexico) Toros as the league's eighth charter team. The season will consist of 90 games per team and will begin in late May 2005 and end in early September 2005. Each team will have a 22 player roster. The Golden Baseball League office is headquartered in Pleasanton, CA.

[LAMetroGuy]

LONG BEACH, CA--(MARKET WIRE)--Nov 11, 2004 -- Developers Diversified Realty (NYSEDR - News), the developer, owner and manager of the Pike at Rainbow Harbor, today announced a signed lease with LodgeWorks LP to open a 97,000 square foot Sierra Suites extended stay hotel at the 18-acre entertainment center on the waterfront in downtown Long Beach, California.




The upscale, seven-story hotel will be built to the east of the Pike's parking garage at 285 Bay Street and feature approximately 140 all-suite rooms, meeting facilities and public areas, a roof-top swimming pool and fitness center. The hotel is scheduled to open by Summer 2006. Wichita, KS-based LodgeWorks, LP operates more than 33 hotels nationwide, as Sierra Suites, Summerfield Suites and Hawthorn Suites chains. The all-suite hotel is an $18.5 million project featuring in-room appointments and contemporary architecture reflective of the Pike at Rainbow Harbor and the surrounding residential developments.

The Pike at Rainbow Harbor is a 369,000-square-foot entertainment center featuring a stellar line up of retail, restaurants, and entertainment venues including: P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Auld Dubliner, Big Dippers, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Gladstone's 4 Fish, California Pizza Kitchen, a 14-screen Cinemark Theater with all-stadium seating, GameWorks, featuring a 10-lane bowling alley and its signature restaurant JAX Grill, Cold Stone Creamery, Island's Fine Burgers, Extreme Pizza, Great Steak & Potato, Long Beach Clothing Company, Kelly's Coffee & Fudge Factory, Outback Steak House, Club V -- the Venue, an Art Deco-themed nightclub on the waterfront, featuring a high-tech lighting system, a large dance floor and live entertainment.

Under construction and expected to open soon are Chili's, Mai Tai Bar, Tokyo Wako, Buca di Beppo and the Laugh Factory.

Signature elements of the project include a pedestrian bridge over Shoreline Drive reminiscent of the Cyclone Racer wooden roller coaster that operated in the city's historic Pike amusement zone, a turn-of-the-century carousel with hand-carved horses and a Ferris wheel amusement ride, which are both scheduled to open in December.

"We are thrilled to announce this transaction with Sierra Suites," said Tim Bruce, Senior Vice President of Development for Developers Diversified Realty. "It's another positive step in the direction of the Pike. A hotel was always contemplated at this project and we are delighted to deliver such a first class tenant."

The Pike at Rainbow Harbor is owned and operated by Developers Diversified. The Company currently owns and manages approximately 460 retail operating and development properties in 44 states comprising over 102 million square feet of real estate. DDR is a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT) operating as a fully integrated real estate company which acquires, develops, leases and manages shopping centers. You can learn more about the Company and The Pike at Rainbow Harbor at the Company's Internet address www.ddr.com .

[LAMetroGuy]

Walker developer refocuses retailer hunt

By Don Jergler
Staff writer

LONG BEACH � The developer of downtown's Walker Building said Friday that he plans to find retail tenants to fill empty storefronts below residential lofts.
A spa and auction-related business occupy two of the units at 421 Pine Ave., and Borg Long Beach Development Corp. is working to attract major retailers, company owner Bill Lindborg said.

Borg previously leased the ground-floor retail area to Michael Lomas, who was marketing retail businesses under a single banner, "The Walker Experience."

Lindborg said his company severed ties with Lomas after learning Lomas was named in a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation and a lawsuit alleging he defrauded investors.

"We were excited to have (Lomas) take it to the next level," Lindborg said. "At that time he was creditworthy. There were no investigations. He had a vision."

Lindborg said his company will now manage the storefronts in the 13,000-square-foot retail area. Deals have not been closed, but Lindborg said he is in talks with national chains.

"While it might be an immediate setback, this might be an opportunity in disguise," Lindborg said.

Los Angeles-based Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, which would compete with a Starbucks on Pine between Broadway and Third Street, is among the tenants being considered.

"We have talked to that landlord. We don't have anything firm lined up," said Paul Goldman, vice president of real estate and construction at Coffee Bean. "We love Pine Avenue. We've definitely targeted Pine Avenue as a place we want to be, it's just a matter of finding a spot to go in."

The Coffee Bean also has Long Beach locations in Bixby Knolls, Belmont Shore and the eastside's The Marketplace.

Lindborg said the Walker Building's 130 feet of retail space facing Pine is attractive to retailers "because the area has matured, and there is very limited prime real estate on Pine."

The project also has built-in clientele with disposable income, he noted. The 39 lofts and seven penthouse units in the Walker Building sold for between $400 and $500 per square foot.

Currently, there are two businesses in the retail portion: Spa W and iSold It on eBay. Plans for a coffee house with ice cream and an Italian furniture store were scrapped when Lindborg's company ended its business relationship with Lomas.

The civil allegations that put a damper on the project came in a series of SEC filings, and do not involve Lindborg or any of the developers of the Walker Building.

The filings, which surfaced about two months ago, name Lomas, a Walker Building resident, as one of several defendants in connection with an alleged Ponzi scheme.

The SEC also names companies Mobile Billboards, Outdoor Media Industries and Reserve Guaranty.

Through Mobile Billboards, Lomas and another defendant allegedly sold $60.5 million of Mobile Billboard investments to 700 investors, the filings show.

Outdoor Media Industries leased the billboards back from investors, and Reserve Guaranty purportedly issued investors certificates that guaranteed funding for Mobile Billboards' commitment to buy back the billboards at the full purchase price at the end of the lease, according to the SEC filings.

The complaint alleges that the investment program constituted a Ponzi scheme because the collective business did not generate sufficient advertising revenue to make monthly lease payments to investors. Instead, the program relied on new investor money, the complaint states.

Lindborg said the eBay store, currently owned by Lomas, is being purchased by another eBay store operator, and he will decide whether to keep Spa W open or lease the space to another tenant in the future.

"We're going to do the best thing we can for the entire block," Lindborg said. "Ultimately, this might turn out to be something that works to the entire shopping district's advantage."

[LAMetroGuy]

Hotel D'Orsay Promenade:


Porte Cochere, Hotel Main Entrance:


http://www.cuningham.com/portfolio/h...teldorsay.html

Beautiful downtown Long Beach, in sunny Southern California, has a very successful convention center, a well known aquarium, and a new entertainment-based retail mall. What has been missing is a hospitality project to lure vacation and business travelers alike.

The Embassy Suites at the D'Orsay Promenade is poised to fill that void for the city. The 11- story, urban boutique hotel will carry Hilton�s Embassy Suites flag with site specific design modifications. In order to make the most of its promenient Broadway and Promenade corner location, a 2-story animated base will feature the hotel�s signature restaurant, bar, upscale retail, meeting rooms and a 5,000 square foot ballroom.

The all concrete structural system will be clad around the base in a mixture of stone, glass, aluminum trim and exterior plaster. The contemporary fa�ade includes hints of classic streets and timeless elegance. The hotel tower has been designed to afford more than three-quarters of the guest rooms with views of the ocean while balancing the scale of the neighboring buildings in both mass and form.

The porte cochere and the lobby will become symbols of the hotel's passion for understated elegance and inviting hospitality. A large fireplace anchors the lobby lounge which will be filled with comfortable seating, classic artwork and rich draperies. The 30-foot bar is set to become the meeting place downtown and is located adjacent to the new restaurant which opens out onto the Promenade.


Location
Long Beach, California

Client
D'Orsay International Partners

Scope of Services
Architecture

Project Size
228 Keys
240,000 Square Feet

Construction Cost
$26 Million

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

^nice project.

[LAMetroGuy]

Yeah, I can't wait until this project and the Promonade project are completed, this area will be pretty cool... even if it is only 25% of Santa Monica's Promonade... that would be just fine for me.

Anyone have any news over the Long Beach Promonade project? I don't think many on this board are interested in Long Beach???

[LAmetroman]

Originally Posted by LAMetroGuy

Anyone have any news over the Long Beach Promonade project? I don't think many on this board are interested in Long Beach???

Isn't the Promenade in Long Beach still relatively empty? The city removed most of the buildings when first conceived leaving empty parcels. I have heard the city was overly ambitious trying to develop Pine Avenue, Rainbow Harbor, and the Promenade at the same time.

Regardless, the hotel will be a great development. Has a timeline been finalized?

[LAMetroGuy]

There is a new picture/image for Edgewater on Ocean:







What do you think?

[LAMetroGuy]

bump (I added two more)

[LA rehab]

That Sierra Suites bldg is turd-ugly and not worthy of Long Beach.

The Edgewater however is Sweeeeeeeeeeet! The D'Orsay isn't bad either. Too bad they can't add 8 or 9 floors of condos on top. It'll be good to get some action on the Promenade.

[LA rehab]

Originally Posted by LAMetroGuy

Yeah, I can't wait until this project and the Promonade project are completed, this area will be pretty cool... even if it is only 25% of Santa Monica's Promonade... that would be just fine for me.

Anyone have any news over the Long Beach Promonade project? I don't think many on this board are interested in Long Beach???

I'm always interested in LB. It's a close second behind DTLA for me.

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by LAMetroGuy

I don't think many on this board are interested in Long Beach???

I notice my interest in or curiousity about DT LA is greater than for other hoods, such as DT LB, but I'd be really ticked if LB weren't doing well too, & I always like reading about improvements to that hood (nothing better than to learn that another deadzone parking lot in LB is now RIP!). The fact remains that DT LB has the tallest condo proj under construction in LA County, or at least taller than anything now rising in DT LA.

[LAMetroGuy]

Originally Posted by citywatch

I notice my interest in or curiousity about DT LA is greater than for other hoods, such as DT LB, but I'd be really ticked if LB weren't doing well too, & I always like reading about improvements to that hood (nothing better than to learn that another deadzone parking lot in LB is now RIP!). The fact remains that DT LB has the tallest condo proj under construction in LA County, or at least taller than anything now rising in DT LA.

You mean this 30 story condo tower:

[LAMetroGuy]

L.B. Redevelopment talk

By Don Jergler
Staff writer

LONG BEACH � The first community forum for input on Long Beach redevelopment will take place Wednesday. The Long Beach Redevelopment Agency hired a team of consultants to evaluate the effectiveness of redevelopment in Long Beach. The consultants will conduct the forum at Silverado Park Social Hall, 545 W. 31st St. from 6 to 8 p.m.

The study team is seeking feedback on a number of issues, including the Redevelopment Agency's successes and failures, as well as its effectiveness in involving the public in redevelopment plans.

The comments will be used in conjunction with other research being conducted by Denver-based Clarion Associates.

"Based on the public comments and based on our analysis, we identify (redevelopment practices) in Long Beach that might be able to be improved," said Don Elliott, a Clarion consultant. "We want to know what they think the agency does well, what they don't do well, what they'd like them to be doing."

The plan is to start with this forum and follow up with a series of localized public meetings, which will be held throughout February, March and April. The $430,000 study, to be completed by May 31, will also examine redevelopment practices in other cities.

For information, call (800) 872-9251 or visit www.longbeachrda.com

[LAMetroGuy]

Originally Posted by LAMetroGuy

Hotel D'Orsay Promenade:


Porte Cochere, Hotel Main Entrance:


http://www.cuningham.com/portfolio/h...teldorsay.html

Beautiful downtown Long Beach, in sunny Southern California, has a very successful convention center, a well known aquarium, and a new entertainment-based retail mall. What has been missing is a hospitality project to lure vacation and business travelers alike.

The Embassy Suites at the D'Orsay Promenade is poised to fill that void for the city. The 11- story, urban boutique hotel will carry Hilton�s Embassy Suites flag with site specific design modifications. In order to make the most of its promenient Broadway and Promenade corner location, a 2-story animated base will feature the hotel�s signature restaurant, bar, upscale retail, meeting rooms and a 5,000 square foot ballroom.

The all concrete structural system will be clad around the base in a mixture of stone, glass, aluminum trim and exterior plaster. The contemporary fa�ade includes hints of classic streets and timeless elegance. The hotel tower has been designed to afford more than three-quarters of the guest rooms with views of the ocean while balancing the scale of the neighboring buildings in both mass and form.

The porte cochere and the lobby will become symbols of the hotel's passion for understated elegance and inviting hospitality. A large fireplace anchors the lobby lounge which will be filled with comfortable seating, classic artwork and rich draperies. The 30-foot bar is set to become the meeting place downtown and is located adjacent to the new restaurant which opens out onto the Promenade.


Location
Long Beach, California

Client
D'Orsay International Partners

Scope of Services
Architecture

Project Size
228 Keys
240,000 Square Feet

Construction Cost
$26 Million

A unique and anticipated addition to the Long Beach skyline, Summit just broke ground on The D�Orsay, a new 4-star boutique hotel project. The nine- story building will include 35,000 square feet of independent retail, restaurants and a day spa at the corner of The Promenade and Broadway in Long Beach�s redevelopment district. The D�Orsay will encompass 176 luxury suites including an enormous 1,640 square foot Presidential Suite. The hotel features large banquet, meeting and boardrooms as well as opulent common areas including several terraces surrounding the elegant hotel swimming pool.