Recommendation to request City Manager to work with Downtown Long Beach Associates (DLBA) to identify methods and estimated costs for activating the section of Victory Park adjacent to the former Jergins Building Property, including but not limited to temporary pop-up retail, tourist, wayfinding, historical and arts-based installations; and Request City Manager to also explore ideas and estimated costs of activating the parking lot at Seaside Way and Pine Avenue (100 East Ocean Boulevard) with DLBA.
Communication from Vice Mayor Lowenthal. Councilwoman Gonzalez. Recommendation to request the City Manager to work with the DLP to identify methods and estimated costs for activating the section of Victory Park adjacent to the former Jergens Building property, and also explore ideas and estimated costs of activating the parking lot at 100 East Ocean Boulevard. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Many of you are familiar with the southeast corner of Pine Avenue and Ocean Boulevard with its artwork on the wall. This portion of Victory Park has been closed off to the public for decades, which is a shame, as many of you have driven by given the potential for this corner to serve as a focal point for the city and for downtown, an innovative space that inspires tourists, conventioneers and residents to cross the great divide of Ocean Boulevard. Councilmember Gonzales and I believe we have an opportunity here to bring a temporary use to the site that breaks down the visual and psychological barriers to pedestrians. We have thought about it for probably years and decades. How to make ocean not seem so, so large, so wide and and so untenable. The debate, which I know Mr. Craig Cogen is here tonight, is willing is a willing partner dedicated to revitalizing public spaces and improving pedestrian activity. Each of you receive Dove's recent report. Each of you council members discussing the opportunities for temporary pop up retail at the corner. I thought April Economies did a fantastic job of showing us what's possible in the way of activation for this important corner. So what we'd like to see is the Dolby and city staff exploring those possibilities and bringing them back with cost estimates. From there we can discuss all the funding options available for that space. And with that, I'd appreciate your support. Councilmember Gonzalez. Yes. I want to thank you, Vice Mayor Lowenthal, for bringing this forward. I think it is very important that we are looking at this. The areas revision, revisioning is such a large piece of the Renaissance currently happening along Ocean and Pine Avenue in the downtown and a smooth transition in to our convention center. And nightlife is vital for tourists and employees, as well as locals who benefit greatly from continued growth in downtown the part of downtown Long Beach. This part has such a legacy and history, something that can be that can continue to be built upon and restructured in a modern, well-planned way. And working with the deal, Bay, will be a positive transition for the area. I know Council District One has worked on many projects with you all and we're excited to move forward with this item. Councilwoman Price. Thank you. I too am very excited about this. And even though studies cost money, I think this is a worthy thing for staff to study because I think this is a great item that will enrich and activate this area and give us some opportunities. So understanding that the staff is going to have to go back and come up with some alternatives for us, I think it's a very worthy investment in our city. And I want to thank my council colleagues who worked diligently to get it to this point. So thank you very much. Councilmember Urunga. I couldn't help it. I knew the opportunities there. Now, this is a worthwhile study. It did stop it. Going to come back with a real solution to a blighted area that we need to fix this. I totally support. I want to thank the council members who brought this forward because it's about time we address that block and that area. It is a very important aspect of what we want downtown to look like, and I'm looking forward to see how much we're going to spend on that corner. But as far as a previous subject, I know it's going to come back expensive and I know I'm going to vote it down. So anyway, thank you. So that's councilmember. You're on his way of saying I've left that corner blighted for far too long. Point taken, sir. Thank you. Thank you. Is there any member of the public that wishes to address council on this item? Please come forward. State your name. Hi. My name is Ryan, ultimate executive vice president of Anderson Pacific and also chair of the Public Realm Committee for the Derby. We're very proud to be working in partnership with the city on trying to re-energize this corner. That, as many is known, has been blighted and neglected for far too long. The Public World Committee is dedicated to public improvements that really work towards the benefit of the greater good and see this as a first step in the right direction. As you all may recall, the Urban Institute was commissioned by the DLB to come in to study the ways that we could improve the urban fabric of the community . And this is one of the recommendations that came out in terms of reengaging this corner and in bringing people back into the fold who are appreciative that part of our investment as well was in working towards funding this report by April kind of meetings that that demonstrated, I think, a very pragmatic approach to the solutions on this corner, which we do think will always. Work towards providing economic. Benefit. I speak more to the tourism aspects of this and obviously providing open space is much needed in the city. So I want to thank Councilmember Gonzales Vice Mayor Al Lowenthal for their stewardship in this and look forward to the future partnership together. Thank you. Thank you, Ryan. Is there any other member of the public that wishes to address the council on this item? Item 15? I also wanted to mention that this is an investment in this corner. I know this is a very prime corner, and it's one of those last unfinished areas that I think will complete our efforts in the downtown. Although it's an open canvas, it's going to be very important. Part of the pop up strategy is to show potential to really market that corner in a way that having just an open space doesn't quite do. So I appreciate the support for the investment and really the creativity that the DBA and the Urban Land Institute and others have brought forward and said that it's possible. It is possible and we can use it as a flex space and change it from time to time, depending on what the city and residents and stakeholders would like to see there. With that council members, please cast your vote. Motion carries nine zero. Thank you. Item 25.