Construction has begun on the 218-unit Aster on the southwest corner of East Broadway and Long Beach Boulevard. Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021. Photo by Brandon Richardson.

Construction is underway on The Aster, a 218-unit mixed-use development on the southwest corner of East Broadway and Long Beach Boulevard in Downtown Long Beach.

The building permit for the project by Raintree-Evergreen, LLC was issued July 29, according to Long Beach Development Services spokesman Richard De La Torre. Work quickly began with heavy machinery and steel beams on site.

The eight-story building will include market-rate studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and 7,292 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor. The project will feature a host of resident amenities, including a fitness center, swimming pool and spa, a barbecue area, co-working space, a rooftop lounge and an 11,600-square-foot courtyard.

The Aster also will include 316 parking stalls, according to the developer.

“We are excited to have recently broken ground on The Aster, another high-quality residential and retail development in Downtown Long Beach,” Raintree Partners Director of Development Richard Price said in an email.

A rendering of The Aster courtesy of the city of Long Beach.

The project is very close to three other developments such as the five-story, 34-room boutique hotel next door. Other projects include the eight-story, 189-unit Broadstone (previously The Inkwell) at East Broadway and The Promenade North, and the Broadway Block, which features 432 units in two buildings—a 23-story high-rise and a seven-story mid-rise. Like the Aster, the two residential projects include ground-floor commercial space for restaurants, shops or services.

W.E. O’Neil Construction is the general contractor for the project that was designed by architect Carrie Johnson. Newport Beach-based MJS Landscape Architecture designed the project’s landscaping.

The Aster is slated for completion in the third quarter of 2023, Price said.

“Downtown Long Beach and nearby East Village [Arts District] are dynamic, vibrant neighborhoods,” Price said, “and Aster will be a great new addition and at the heart of the action.”

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with information about the amount of parking included in the development.