Two projects that could bring nearly 1,000 new units of housing to Southeast Long Beach could be approved by the Planning Commission at its Thursday meeting.

The two projects are located near the 2ND & PCH shopping center, with the one directly south of the shopping center offering 600 market-rate units and a second development located across Pacific Coast Highway adding another 390 units, 17 of which would be affordable.

Commissioners opted to delay a vote earlier this month on the 600-unit proposal from Onni Group, which would demolish existing buildings at the Marina Shores retail center where some businesses are still operating and replace it with housing. Action on the project was delayed because of a potential noticing error by the city.

Across from Onni’s proposed project is a new six-story mixed-use project that would add 390 new apartment units and about 5,300 square feet of commercial space at the corner of northeast corner Studebaker Road and Pacific Coast Highway.

An overhead rendering of the 600-unit housing development proposed by Onni Group at the current Marina Shore shopping center. This view shows the proposed development from Marina Drive.

That project would require the demolition of some existing office buildings at the Marketplace shopping center on the opposite side of PCH and would include 17 units that would be dedicated to households making less than 50% of the area median income, which is about $98,200, according to recent state figures.

To qualify for the deed-restricted units, a family would have to make about half of that figure or less.

Under the city’s Southeast Area Specific Plan, which changed zoning in the area to allow for more housing production, the height limit is five stories. But because the project includes affordable units that were not required by a city ordinance, it could be allowed to exceed that limit.

The project would be a mix of studios (66), one-bedroom (192), two-bedroom (123) and three-bedroom units (9). An above-ground parking structure with 576 spaces is expected to be part of the project, and the rooftop of the building would include 10,498 square feet of common area and open space, according to plans submitted to the city.

A digital rendering shows a gleaming building on the corner of two streets.
A rendering showing the proposed 281-unit housing development at 6700 Pacific Coast Highway. The rendering shows the building from the corner of Studebaker Road and Marina Drive. Rendering courtesy of the city of Long Beach.

A third project at Congressional Place on the western side of PCH just south of the proposed development at Marina Shores has already been approved by the Planning Commission, but it is being challenged and will face an appeal hearing at the July 18 City Council meeting.

The six-story, 281-unit project is being challenged by environmental groups who say the project should be subject to a full environmental impact report to assess how it will affect the neighboring wetlands, and another appeal claims that the project will affect parking for boat owners who use the neighboring marina.

Together, the three projects could add a total of 1,271 units to the area, which is a major gateway into the city. When the City Council adopted the SEASP plan in 2017, city planning officials estimated that the zoning changes could amount to about 2,500 new units being built in the area.

The Planning Commission is expected to vote on both projects at its July 20 meeting. The City Council will hear the appeal of the Congressional Place project at its July 18 meeting, which is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.

6-story residential development near 2ND & PCH gets green light from Planning Commission

Jason Ruiz covers City Hall and politics for the Long Beach Post. Reach him at [email protected] or @JasonRuiz_LB on Twitter.