PRESS RELEASE

The City announced today at its Building a Better Long Beach presentation that new development and construction activity continues to thrive, with work underway or nearing completion for several major projects. The mid-day event, which took place at Beverly O’Neill Theater (300 E. Ocean Blvd.), drew an audience of hundreds of community representatives including business leaders, real estate specialists, land developers and local architects.

“Developers are investing in Long Beach with over 4,000 new housing and new commercial developments, families are investing in Long Beach by moving into our city, and 2,000 new businesses are investing and opening in Long Beach every year,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “Long Beach continues to be a city on the move, and there’s so much still to come.”

More than a dozen high-profile projects that have been recently completed around the City were showcased, including the revitalized Long Beach Civic Center, with the new City Hall, Port of Long Beach Administration Building and Billie Jean King Main Library. Among the other finished works presented were: The Linden and Oceanaire mixed-used projects; the Long Beach Exchange retail center; the Riverdale housing development; and Trademark Brewing, a craft beer company located in a restored auto repair shop.

The Mayor noted that altogether there has been $3.5 billion in construction activity in process or underway around the City during this fiscal year, including the new Gerald Desmond Bridge, the Middle Harbor Terminal redevelopment, Shoreline Gateway mixed-use project and the Technology Park build-out for Prologis. The Breakers and Ocean Center, historic landmark buildings located Downtown, are undergoing complete renovation.

Among other key developments being planned or built: Douglas Park Northwest, Long Beach Airport Terminal improvements, 2nd + PCH retail and dining center, Uptown Commons retail center and affordable housing complexes including The Spark at Midtown, Las Ventanas and Vistas del Puerto.

More than 40 projects were detailed that have been approved or are proposed and under review. These include the Belmont Aquatics Center, a 30-story hotel at 100 E. Ocean Blvd., the West Gateway and the downtown classroom center for California State University, Long Beach.

In addition, the Mayor described the City’s initiative to attract or expand technology-oriented businesses, which now includes completed projects for Spin Launch, a new-to-the-market mini-satellite launching operation and Virgin Orbit, which builds dispatching stations for rocket launches. Other projects in the works include: Zwift, a virtual cycling software company; new corporate offices for Laserfiche, a digital software company; and the re-purposing of the former Boeing C-17 manufacturing plant, by property development firm The Goodman Group.

The Mayor noted that the City’s local economic outlook is bright. This fiscal year, the City issued 2,255 new business licenses and the average unemployment rate is just 4.58%, down more than half a percentage point from the previous fiscal year. Housing shortages are being addressed, and approximately 4,000 residential units are in the pipeline.

The Building a Better Long Beach presentation will be available to view online at: www.longbeach.gov. For additional information on the City’s development efforts, visit www.longbeach.gov/lbds.

About the City of Long Beach

Home to approximately 480,000 people, the multiple award-winning and innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. As a full-service charter city, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly-rated school district, Long Beach Airport, the Port of Long Beach, as well as many award-winning City departments such as Health, Parks, Recreation and Marine, Development Services and more. The City also has a highly-respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, five golf courses, 170 parks, miles of beaches, marinas, bike paths, and a Bike Share program.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit http://longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

About Long Beach Development Services

Serving residents, businesses, and the community at large, the City’s award-winning Department of Development Services sets a standard for high-quality, innovative urban planning and livability efforts that create more progressive and sustainable communities within Long Beach. Through a variety of development, code enforcement, housing and neighborhood services, and building activities, the Department builds a better future for the diverse City while also honoring its unique past. For more information, visit www.longbeach.gov/lbds/. Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.

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