Developers continue to buy up property around the city for new residential, commercial and mixed-use spaces, while previous projects move forward.
In four unanimous votes, the city council approved the sale of four former Long Beach Redevelopment Agency properties for more than $11.5 million at its meeting on June 21.
This Long Beach Business Journal photograph from March 2016 shows completed projects at Douglas Park, north of the Long Beach Airport. Among the current projects are Pacific Pointe East (not pictured, located south of Lakewood Boulevard and south of Mercedes-Benz USA facilities), a 465,000-square-foot, three-building project that is in its grading phase and is currently for lease by Sares-Regis Group. Grading has begun on a Hampton Inn/Homewood Suites project (A on the map and also pictured below). A 270,000-square foot retail project by Burnham USA Equities Inc. is planned at the corner of Lakewood Boulevard and Carson Street (B on the map). Sares-Regis Group is also planning a Pacific Pointe North development in the near future (C on map).
The first approval was for a property located at Broadway and Long Beach Boulevard. Raintree-Evergreen LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, was approved to buy the land for $7.3 million. The company plans to turn the temporary parking lot into a 44,849-square-foot modern luxury apartment complex and retail space in Long Beach’s 2nd District.
The project is filed for a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Class 12 exemption, which means the city does not need to identify any potential environmental impacts the proposed project would have.
Warren Blesofsky, a 2nd District resident and president of Citizens Against Downtown Long Beach Giveaways, said the city is using exemptions for projects around the city that should not be eligible. “When you post the CEQA exemption tomorrow, we can head down to the recorders office, take a picture of it and we’ll be filing another lawsuit against this development.”
Blesofsky made similar comments at the May 17 meeting regarding the recent approval of the sale of property at 100 E. Ocean Blvd. to American Life Inc. for a 25-story hotel and business center.
The temporary parking lot on the corner of Broadway and Long Beach Boulevard was approved for purchase by the city council at it’s meeting on June 21. Raintree-Evergreen LLC is set to purchase the land across the street from the Edison Lofts and Bank of America for $7.3 million and plans to construct a 44,849-square-foot, modern luxury apartment complex and retail space. (Photograph by the Business Journal’s Larry Duncan)
Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal said implying the council is taking part in any wrongdoing through its sales of property is disrespectful to anyone who spent time updating the downtown plan over the last seven years.
She went on to explain how the approach of these sales means that the properties will not simply go to the highest bidder but rather to a company with a plan that fits the best interest of the community. “So I’m not only thankful for the process, but I’m actually very proud of it,” she said.
The next sale to be approved was for property at Anaheim Street and Walnut Avenue to BRIDGE Housing Corporation and The Children’s Clinic “Serving Children and Their Families,” both California-based, for $2.5 million.
The property in the 6th District would create 408 temporary jobs and 42 permanent jobs, according to the district’s councilmember, Dee Andrews.
“[The district’s greatest] need would be housing for our aging community and affordable health care clinics for our children and our families,” Andrews said. “I do appreciate the fact that the developers understood the importance of our Cambodian community in the areas by providing space for two active non-profit organizations in serving the Cambodian community, as well as housing and a small-business development center. It’s nice to see services in our neighborhoods outweigh the mighty dollar.”
Lennar’s Oceanaire residential project
The third development site, located at Anaheim Street and Lime Avenue, was approved for purchase by CJDT Development Group LLC, a California limited liability company, for $500,000.
Also in the 6th District, Andrews said the project would create 10 temporary jobs and 24 permanent jobs, positions which he hopes will be filled by residents of the district. The ground floor of the building will house two restaurants, including a contemporary Asian noodle eatery.
During the public comments section for this project, Charles Lewis, the project manager, said, “We want to take one minute to thank you for the opportunity to participate in what we think is the fastest-growing and best city in the state. We are excited to see what we can do with the location.”
The last property voted on is located at 4800 Long Beach Blvd. In the 8th District, City Ventures LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, was approved to buy the land for $1.25 million with plans to build a condominium complex.
A major project approved for sale by the council at its June 14 meeting was a 52,500-square-foot lot on the northeast corner of 3rd Street and Pacific Avenue to Ensemble Investments. The company paid $6 million for the land and plans on building an 18-story tower, which will include 229 apartments, as well as a seven-story apartment building with 96 units. The proposal by Ensemble also includes 25,000 square feet for retail space.
Approved sales by the city council in May included property at The Promenade and Broadway Avenue for $8.2 million to Raintree-Evergreen LLC for residential, retail and flexible workspace; 120 E. 3rd St. for $480,000 to William Morris Commercial Inc. for adaptive co-work and incubator space; and 5100 Long Beach Blvd. for $1.25 million to City Ventures LLC for 27 townhomes.
New Civic Center And The Former Boeing C-17 Plant
The demolition of the 58-year-old county courthouse at 415 W. Ocean Blvd. to make way for the new Long Beach Civic Center was completed on schedule and under budget. The site was delivered to Plenary Edgemoor Civic Partners on June 1 as required by the agreement. The project is scheduled to break ground in July.
Additionally, property on the southwest corner of 3rd Street and Pacific Avenue was conveyed to Sares-Regis Group for a residential development.
In all the civic center project includes the new city hall, port headquarters, main library and Lincoln Park – plans for which were completed last year. The project also includes plans for retail space, 650 multi-family units and 200 hotel rooms, which have not been finalized.
As for the site of the former Boeing C-17 plant on the west side of the Long Beach Airport, Michael Conway, Long Beach’s director of economic and property development, said, “Boeing has not yet completed its environmental review to be conducted as part of its decommissioning. Once that review is complete, the city can more actively assist in determining future uses, timelines and entitlement.
Douglas Park Projects
Four projects are currently being approved, in their grading phase or are already under construction at the Douglas Park project north of the Long Beach Airport.
Pacific Pointe East is the largest of the projects, totaling 465,000 square feet on 25 acres of land east of Lakewood Boulevard and south of the Mercedes-Benz complex. Larry Lukanish, senior vice president of Sares-Regis Group, said the site will consist of three buildings.
“We plan to have those buildings completed by the first quarter of 2017,” he said. “This project is currently for lease, so we do not have any tenants yet. But we are marketing the project.”
Sares-Regis also sold four acres of property fronting Lakewood Boulevard at Cover Street to Nexus, a development company based in Costa Mesa. Nexus is preparing the land for the construction phase on a Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites dual hotel. According to the Nexus website, the hotel will include 143 Hampton Inn rooms and 98 Homewood Suites rooms. Also included will be a lounge area, a gym, an outdoor pool and a recreation area with barbecuing, ping pong and a putting green. The project is scheduled for completion in 2017.
Long Beach’s Urbana Development LLC is in the process of getting site plans approved for 100,000 square feet of offices on 6 acres of land just south of the Nexus site. Lukanish said the project would hopefully be completed by August 2017.
The site for the Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites dual hotel by Costa Mesa developer Nexus is currently in its grading phase. The Hampton Inn portion of the hotel will consist of 143 rooms, while Homewood Suites will have 98. The facility will also include a lounge area, a gym, an outdoor pool and a recreation area. (Photograph by the Business Journal’s Larry Duncan)
Lastly, Burnham USA Equities Inc., located in Newport Beach, has plans for a 270,000-square-foot retail project.
“A lot is going on in Douglas Park,” Lukanish said. “Within the next year, we’ll have a lot of new buildings and different amenities there for the current tenants and the nearby residents to use.”
Additional Development Projects In The Pipeline As Of June 2016
• 101 Alamitos Ave. – At 1st Street in the East Village Arts District, the project by Sares-Regis Group includes 136 condominiums with 10 studio units and 2,560 square feet of pedestrian-oriented retail and restaurant space in a seven-story building. Entitlements for the project are completed.
• 137 W. 6th St. – The mixed-use development project will include 10 residential units, an at-grade parking garage for residents and an additional 1,200 square feet of commercial retail space. The project is currently under construction and is scheduled for completion this summer.
• 135 Linden Ave. – A project for a five-story building includes up to 44 residential units above approximately 2,688 square feet of retail space. The project site plans are in the review process.
• 1570-1598 Long Beach Blvd. – At 16th Street, the project includes a 36-unit condominium complex with 10,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. The project is currently in plan check with the city.
• 2nd Street and Pacific Coast Hwy. – A retail center has been proposed by the property owner to replace the aging SeaPort Marina Hotel at the corner of 2nd Street and Pacific Coast Hwy. The Long Beach Development Services staff is working with the development team on a revised proposal of the project.
• 200 W. Ocean Blvd. – The adaptive reuse project will add two stories, including a total of 94 residential units and 4,597 square feet of retail space. Entitlements for the project were approved in December 2015 and the city is awaiting submittal for a plan check.
• 207 Seaside Way – The proposed mixed-use development project includes 113 residential units and 2,000 square feet of retail in a five-story building. Construction has begun on a public pedestrian bridge adjacent to the site. The project is currently in plan check with the city.
• 227 Elm Ave. – Developer City Ventures proposed 40 three-story townhomes over one-car garages. The project is currently in plan check with the city.
• 230 W. 3rd St. – The proposed mixed-use residential complex includes 163 residential units, 261 subterranean parking spaces, community spaces for tenants, a pool deck and a fitness area. The conceptual site plans are in the review process.
• 300 Alamitos Ave. – The proposed project includes 77 market-rate apartments with 109 parking stalls on two levels (below grade and grade level). The conceptual site plans are in the review process.
• 434 E. 4th St. – The proposed mixed-use project includes 49 apartment units over ground floor resident amenities and retail space with 82 parking stalls. The project site plans are in the review process.
• 442 W. Ocean Blvd. – Long Beach developer Ensemble Investments proposed a mixed-use development of an eight-story building to include 94 residential units and 1,455 square feet of retail space. The project is currently in plan check with the city.
• 495 Promenade North – The Residences at City Place project includes a four-story mixed-use building with 20 residential units and 5,220 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor. The project is currently in plan check with the city.
• 635 Pine Ave. – The project includes 156 residential units in a 22-story building. The conceptual site plans are in the review process.
635 Pine Ave. residential project
• 810 Pine Ave. – The project includes 64 residential units in an 11-story building. The conceptual site plans are in the review process.
• Anchor Place – The five-story complex will include 75 units reserved for homeless veterans and 45 units set aside for extremely low-income residents located within the Century Villages at Cabrillo campus in West Long Beach. The ceremonial groundbreaking was in April.
• City Place Shopping Center – Local design firm Studio One Eleven plans to redevelop the City Place Shopping Center in Downtown Long Beach and move into a former Nordstrom Rack building that is also slated for redevelopment. The project is currently under construction.
Construction continues on the City Place Shopping center on the corner of 3rd Street and North Waite Center. The 350,000-square-foot retail center in downtown is in its first year of a four-year, three-phase, multi-million dollar renovation. The center, which stretches along 3rd Street, 6th Street, Pine Avenue and Long Beach Boulevard, will also be renamed with the help of the public. (Photograph by the Business Journal’s Larry Duncan)
• Golden Shore Master Plan – The development agreement for residential condominiums and office, retail, hotel and parking space on a 5.87-acre site at Ocean Boulevard and Golden Shore. The city is awaiting site plan review applications for individual development sites.
• Ocean Center Building – An adaptive reuse project proposed by the property owner, Santa Monica-based Levy and Associates, will convert office space at the historic Ocean Center Building at 110 W. Ocean Blvd. into approximately 74 residential units with retail and restaurant space on the ground floor. The project is currently in plan check with the city.
• Olympix Fitness Center – This adaptive reuse project by property owner Kurt Schneiter of Maverick Investments will turn the former Yankee Doodles bar and adjoining salon at 4100 E. Ocean Blvd. in Belmont Shore into a fitness center. The project is currently under construction and estimated for completion in October.
• Pacific Lofts – The project, located at 140 W. 7th St., includes 36 residential units in a five-story building. The project site plans are in the review process.
• Parc Broadway – The project, located at 245 W. Broadway, the site of a former office building, includes 222 residential units with 8,500 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, including an art gallery, cafe and “bike kitchen.” The project is currently in plan check with the city.
• Pine Square/Pacific Court – The project involves converting the former AMC Pine Square movie theater at 245 Pine Ave/250 Pacific Ave. into 69 loft-style apartment units with new retail space on the ground floor. The project proposes 112,079 square feet of new residential space at Pine Avenue, 3rd Street and Broadway. Construction of this project is nearly completed and a temporary certificate of occupancy has been granted by the city, allowing tenants to move in.
• Riverwalk – Orange County-based developer Integral Communities proposed a residential development on 10.56 acres at 4747 Daisy Ave., formerly the site of the Will J. Reid Boy Scout Camp. The project includes 131 single-family homes in a gated community. Entitlements for this project are completed.
• Security Pacific National Bank Building – An adaptive reuse project at 110 Pine Ave. will convert office space at the 13-story building into 118 residential units above The Federal Bar. The project is currently in plan check with the city.
• Shoreline Gateway – The project by Anderson Pacific, LLC includes a 35-story condominium tower at Ocean Boulevard and Alamitos Avenue with 315 residential units. Entitlements for the project are being processed.
• Steel Craft – At the corner of Long Beach Boulevard and Bixby Road, the project by developer and general contractor Howard CDM is repurposing shipping containers into a multi-tenant commercial retail park. The project is currently in plan check with the city.
• The Breakers – The adaptive reuse project includes 138 market-rate residential units. Project site plans are in the review process.
Click here to download a list detailing the status of former RDA properties
