562.570.7174
Rick.DeLaTorre@longbeach.gov
Community Information Officer
Community Development Department
City officials celebrate the demolition ceremony of the former North Neighborhood Library. From left to right:
Tom Modica, City Manager, City of Long Beach; Cindy Allen, Vice Mayor, City of Long Beach; Christopher Koontz, Director, Community Development Department, City of Long Beach; Al Austin II, Councilmember, Eighth District, City of Long Beach; Erin Rank, CEO and President, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles; Eva Melgarejo, Director, The Long Beach Community Investment Company;
Jeff Williams, Director of Community Engagement, Office of the Mayor, City of Long Beach.
Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach today joined with its nonprofit affiliate, The Long Beach Community Investment Company (LBCIC) and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles (Habitat LA) to commemorate the ceremonial demolition of the former North Neighborhood Library. The site will be developed into a new townhome community that will provide the opportunity for low-income families to purchase their first home.
“We are thrilled this property will soon be serving the community as much-needed affordable housing in North Long Beach,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “The City continues to find opportunities to uplift our residents by creating more opportunities for homeownership and multi-generational wealth.
To be located at 5571 Orange Ave., the affordable housing development will consist of eight two-story townhomes featuring a mix of three and four bedrooms with 2.5 to three bathrooms, private yards and a detached two-car garage with outlets for electric vehicle charging. The demolition work is expected to be completed later this month by Vincor Construction and the project groundbreaking is slated within the next few months.
“We remain grateful for this development opportunity and look forward to working with an outstanding partner like Habitat LA that has a praiseworthy record of building homes in Long Beach,” said Eighth District Councilmember Al Austin II. “This project will be a valuable asset to the North Long Beach community and appreciated by future residents who will be able to call these homes their very own.”
The LBCIC awarded Habitat LA the exclusive negotiating rights in January 2023 for the purchase and development of the property that was built by the City in 1951 and served as a local library and resource center until 2016 when it was replaced by the Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library on Atlantic Avenue. In September 2023, The LBCIC approved a $717,000 zero-interest acquisition and development loan to Habitat LA for acquisition of the property.
“We continue to proudly support investments such as this that will provide affordable homeownership opportunities for Long Beach families,” said The LBCIC Chair Mary Castro. “Habitat LA has been a good, long-time partner of the City and we greatly appreciate this alliance and the diligent efforts of their staff in delivering high-quality affordable housing to our communities.”
The Habitat LA homes will be sold to those earning less than 80% of the area median income using affordable loans and down payment assistance through Habitat’s unique homeownership model.
“Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles is pleased to continue our long-standing partnership with the City of Long Beach and The LBCIC. With this development we will have over 50 new homes under construction throughout the city this year,” said Habitat LA President and CEO Erin Rank. “Affordable homeownership is key to building strong and resilient communities and we are proud to be building more opportunities for first-time homebuyers in Long Beach.”
The City of Long Beach remains committed to building and maintaining access to safe, quality housing for residents across all income levels, promoting a diversity of housing types and increasing the feasibility of development of underused sites throughout the city.
For more information on the City’s affordable housing and assistance programs, the community can visit longbeach.gov/lbcd.
About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.
For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. For more information about the Community Development Department, visit longbeach.gov/lbcd and like on Facebook page and follow on X and Instagram.