City Peer Review Confirms Community Hospital Seismic Findings

A city-commissioned peer review has confirmed findings that MemorialCare Community Hospital Long Beach does not meet state seismic requirements, according to a January 17 memo issued by John Keisler, director of economic development for the City of Long Beach. An earlier assessment commissioned by MemorialCare Health System found that the hospital does not meet seismic requirements due to its location on an active fault line, and that it would have to close its acute care services by June 30, 2019. The city is undertaking a study to determine the feasibility and cost of retrofitting the hospital structures. Click here to read the memo.

 

Orchard Supply Hardware Now Open At Douglas Park

Orchard Supply Hardware opened its doors for business on January 16 at Douglas Park’s Long Beach Exchange (LBX) near the intersection of Lakewood Boulevard and Carson Street. According to a project spokesperson, several other business openings are scheduled, including PetSmart on April 23, Whole Foods 365 on April 24, T.J. Maxx at the end of April and Nordstrom Rack on May 10.

 

Local Activist Refiles Rent Control Ballot Initiative

According to Long Beach City Clerk Monique DeLaGarza, on January 12, Housing Long Beach Executive Director Josh Butler refiled a petition to collect signatures to place a rent control ordinance on the November ballot. The ordinance title and summary are being written by the city attorney’s office. Once completed, Butler and his supporters must gather around 27,000 signatures to get the initiative on the ballot. For more information, see the January 30 edition of the Business Journal.

 

Long Beach Unemployment Rate 4.6% At Year-End
The Long Beach unemployment rate was 4.6% (not seasonally adjusted) in December, up from 4.5% in November, according to the Employment Development Department. Of the 242,700 people in the labor force, 231,600 were employed during the last month of 2017. The state unemployment rate was 4.2%.

 

U.S. Chamber Makes Recommendations To Rebuild America’s Infrastructure

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has released its recommendations on how it would rebuild and modernize America’s infrastructure, beginning with raising the federal fuel fee (which hasn’t been increased since 1993) by 25 cents. Other recommendations include streamlining permitting processes, expanding financing options and developing a skilled workforce.