Los Angeles County’s second-largest city is also undergoing a downtown renaissance.
The Long Beach waterfront city center is getting a new civic center via a public-private partnership. Residential, retail and hotel developments are in the works, along with a flurry of condo, apartment and mixed-use projects.
This city of about a half-million people has been evolving for decades, ending its Navy town period, surviving the tumultuous 1990s and remaking itself as a tourism and convention destination – not to mention a major port of the Pacific Rim.
The latest growth spurt marks a new era that follows years of investment by the city that helped revitalize urban culture.
More is on the way.
The Aquarium of the Pacific is embarking on a $53 million expansion. A $250 million entertainment district called Queen Mary Island is proposed next to the iconic ship. The port is also going through a transformation as it modernizes, expands and constructs a new bridge.
The map highlights just a few of the projects that are under development.
Long Beach is seeing a wave of development that is projected to bring in hundreds of new apartment units, a residential tower that would be its tallest building and a new civic center in the middle of it all.
The following five projects are just a snapshot of a growing number of major developments under construction in downtown long Beach, many of which are mixed-use buildings designed to take advantage of the nearby transit opportunities with the Metro Blue Line connecting the city to downtown Los Angeles.
– Neil Nisperos
1. Shoreline Gateway
Cost: N/A
Location: 777 E. Ocean Blvd.
Description: Second phase of the Current residential project, this 35-story residential tower with retail would be the tallest building in Long Beach
Developer: Ledcor Properties, Anderson Pacific, Qualico and Lantower Residential
Architect: Studioneleven, Carrier Johnson, RELM
Estimated completion: Third quarter 2020
2. Amli Park Broadway
Cost: $90 million
Location: 245 W. Broadway
Description: 222-unit residential component
with retail space
Developer: AMLI Residential
Architect: KTGY Architects
Contractors: Hill Contractors
Estimated completion: Second quarter 2018
3. OceanAire
Cost: $130 million
Location: 150 W. Ocean Blvd.
Description: Seven-story, 216-unit apartment complex
Developer: LMC, Lennar Co. and
Intergulf Development
Architect: Togawa Smith
Contractors: Zwick Construction
Estimated completion: Spring 2019
4. Sonata
Cost: N/A
Location: 207 E. Seaside Way by the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center
Description: Five-story, 112-unit apartment complex with a city-funded pedestrian bridge
Developer: Ensemble Real Estate Investments
Architect: Studio T-SQ Inc.
Estimated completion: Fourth quarter 2018
5. Civic Center
Cost: $520 million
Location: 401 W. Ocean Blvd.
Description: New City Hall, Port of Long Beach offices, library, park, hotel, retail and residential
Developer: Plenary-Edgemoor Civic Partners
Architect: SOM Architects, KSM Architects
Contractors: Clark Construction
Estimated completion: Mid-2019
