Recommendation to adopt Specifications No. RFP ED20-041 for the long-term leasing and development opportunity at the former Long Beach Armory (854 East 7th Street), Assessor Parcel Number 7274-019-900 (Subject Property); and Authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to enter into an Exclusive Negotiation Agreement (ENA) with Gundry Partners, LP, doing business as Howard CDM, of Long Beach, CA, for the continuation of negotiations in connection with No. RFP ED20-041 for the Subject Property. (District 1)
Thank you. We have a thank you for getting through all those. We have a couple of council items. And so let me go ahead and go through some some of these other items. First step, we're going to hear item number 19, please. Report from economic development. A recommendation to adopt specifications for the long term leasing and development opportunity at former Long Beach Armory and authorize city manager to execute all documents necessary to enter into an exclusive, exclusive negotiation agreement with Howard Cdmo District one. Kate. We're going to do a council presentation. I think we have a short presentation first. So let me turn this over to staff. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. John Chrysler and Sergio Ramirez will give the report. Perfect. Good evening, honorable mayor. Council members have a very short presentation. I'd actually find it quite exciting project. So for a request for an exclusive negotiation agreement for a city property. The former Long Beach Armory. By way of background the the city. Property that's located at 854 seventh Street along seventh and Alamitos is was a former Army National Guard property that was decommissioned in 2018. The property reverted back to the city. It's approximately an acre with a three story building. It's situated adjacent to Sin Anthony High School, right across the street from Mola Payam and GOM Minor Park. As mentioned in 2018, when the property was decommissioned by the the armory of the property asset vacancies. That time and rec has significant improvements that are required. Back in last year, in May of 2020, the city staff issued a request for proposals. And due to the pandemic, that request for proposal timeline was extended to July 20. July 29, 2020. At that time, a respondent team, we did get a proposal from Gunnery Partners, a group of partnership, Howard C.M. Pacific six and son Anthony High School and Studio 111, who are proposing an exciting project. The Armory Arts Collective would be an adaptive reuse restoration project of the historic Armory Building, which would introduce offices, meeting rooms, studios, exciting performing arts center, a gallery space and an outside performing arts garden. The space would be used by Saint Anthony High School, as well as opened up to the community and made available for programing. In addition, as part of the component of the project, potentially there could be development of an 86 unit workforce housing project to help finance the improvements of the armory. This evening, staff is requesting an exclusive negotiation agreement period, which would allow staff to work with the applicant for a period of time to see if to explore due diligence and also negotiate terms of a more definitive agreement. The term that's being requested would be a 90 day negotiating period with an additional 90 days, if required, to be able to come to an agreement. That concludes the staff presentation and happy answering questions. Thank you. Thank you. We have. Let me turn this over to Cattleman's in Dallas, which I know is in the district. I believe that's a motion. And then I have a second, I believe a Councilman Price Council members in Dallas. Thank you. Thank you, Mayor, very much. First of all, I wanted to say how excited I am to see this proposal moving forward. I know the staff, especially our economic development department, have been working so hard to help our city turn this space into a positive, good, good for our community. And I couldn't be more excited about the plans that they've outlined here. I'm especially excited to see the collaboration between all of the people on this bid and that are really going to be making a huge difference. I mean, I'm grateful for any opportunity to increase access to affordable housing in Long Beach, as you all know, but especially in my district. On top of that, being able to see this turn into an active, vibrant community space that can be used by our amazing partners in that neighborhood is so exciting for me. I'm glad to see that St Anthony's is going to be part of these plans as they move forward. And I'm also looking forward to the effects this could have on our surrounding neighborhood and the way that it's going to elevate that particular neighborhood. Something that has been particularly of concern of mine over the last year has been the binder park that we have right now. And I feel that with this project, it's going to elevate it and really give these park the the the opportunity to really thrive as it was intended so that all of our neighbors can can really be able to take advantage of this new project coming up in our first district. So I'm so excited to see this coming up right there on that particular corner. And I can't wait until it comes into fruition. So thank you, everyone. Thank you, Councilman Price. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I want to echo the comments of my colleague, Councilwoman Zed de Haas. I think this is a really interesting project. The collaborations are interesting and very positive. And what I love most about this project is that as we will discuss with item 15, this did go out to bid. It was a competitive process. It was fair. And as a result, I think we can all have confidence in the outcome of that process because it was a fair process that everyone was able to participate in to determine whether or not they they were both suitable and a viable partner to the city. So I really appreciate this collaboration and very much support this item. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Mongo. Thank you. I appreciate the comments of my colleagues. I've enjoyed meeting with Saint Anthony after they were able to be the arbiter of choice for this negotiation. And while I understand there are no guarantees they'll come to an agreement, I'm hopeful that they'll work together or hand-in-hand with the city to find a solution for some minor park and for that community that will have a lasting impact for generations to come. Thank you. Thank you. There is no public comment that I have. I'm going to make some comments and then we'll go to a vote. So I just want to just congratulate Councilwoman Zendejas for her work just believing in this project. And this is something that we've been working on. When I was a councilmember for the first district and hoping that we could get that armory activate, it did and brought back. And I know that then Councilman Gonzalez also was so interested in this. And the part of this that I really love is I want to just uplift Saint Anthony High School. I think they partnered with some amazing folks to get this project done. My first job out of college was Saint Anthony. I worked for an amazing woman who's now retiring named Gina Rushing. And Gina, I would have been the president for this entire time. And she talked about the armory when I didn't even know the neighborhood. Right out of college and about, you know, kind of her vision and dreams for the armory and Saint Anthony. And so when I think about Gina generosity, Maguire and I think about her legacy that she's leaving. I also know this is a part of her work is always fighting for Saint Anthony, is being a part of this project. And so I just want to also honor her and honor Cindy Anthony High School, an amazing institution that we have in our city and all of the staff on that campus and that faculty that really have always looked at that armory as an opportunity for those students. And so thanks to them and of course, thanks to the development partners as well, Councilman and de Haas and just the whole team, I'm ecstatic that you guys got it across the finish line and we're going have a great project there. So thank you to the city staff as well. And with that roll call vote, please. District one. I. District two. I. District three. I. District four. High District five. High District six. I. District seven. I. I. District eight. Hi. District nine. All right. Motion carries.