The DLBA has collaborated with COBA and the City of Long Beach to create a means of collecting feedback about the experience businesses have in obtaining required permits, approvals, licenses, and related inspection processes in Long Beach. If you have recently completed or attempted one of the aforementioned regulatory applications, please take a few minutes to fill out this survey, so that we can work together to improve the climate of doing business in our City.
City and Business Leaders Gather to Celebrate 200 Pine’s Success & Dedicate the Building’s Marketing Suite
Pictured: Noël Aguirre (Associate, Lee & Associates), George Thomson (Associate, Lee & Associates), Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster, Jerry Fink (Founder and Managing Partner, The Bascom Group), 200 Pine Owner J.R. Pearce, DLBA President & CEO Kraig Kojian
In mid-April, a group of City and business leaders came together to celebrate the successful repositioning of the 200 Pine Avenue building in Downtown Long Beach.
Located at the corner of Pine and Broadway, 200 Pine, a 70,000 square foot mixed-use tower was acquired by Realm Group, LLC in 2008. Since then, Realm has implemented a series of strategic improvements and targeted recruiting efforts that have resulted in the successful repositioning of the property and a dramatically improved occupancy rate. Realm invested $4 million dollars in capital improvements throughout the building. Makeovers to the lobby, bathrooms, elevators, and common areas were complemented with significant improvements to the building’s mechanical systems, upgrades to the parking garage and building lighting, as well as a cosmetic overhaul to the building’s façade. The building’s location at the heart of the city’s entertainment district made it an ideal candidate for the repositioning and made it appealing to tenants – particularly those from the creative industries.
Between period fourth quarter 2008 and fourth quarter 2011, occupancy within the 200 Pine building has increased from 71.5% to 85%, a 13.5% improvement. Over that same time, occupancy for comparable properties (Class B) in Downtown dropped from 86.2% to 83.3%, a decrease of 2.9%. On a net basis, Realm’s actions have led the 200 Pine building to outperform its direct competition by 16.4% over the last three years.
In the last six months alone, three creative businesses relocated their headquarters to 200 Pine. Ignify, a world class technology and business consulting company, moved their 100 person operation from Cerritos into 200 Pine. Street Surfing Worldwide, a developer, manufacturer and distributor of specialty wheeled consumer goods including waveboards, skateboards and scooters, also relocated their headquarters to 200 Pine from Irvine. The newest tenant at 200 Pine is Love vs Design, a wedding stationary design company that was formerly a home-based business.
In addition to strong leasing activity in the office space, 200 Pine has leased out its entire ground floor to three proven retail operators whom add value and amenity to the building and the Downtown community. With nine locations across Southern California, Octopus Japanese restaurant was the first retail tenant to invest in transforming the building’s retail tenant mix in 2010. The Argentine steakhouse Gaucho Grill followed in 2011, and later this year, Agaves will round-out the cadre of international-themed restaurants that anchor 200 Pine.
The following is an interview with J.R. Pearce, partner with Realm and 200 Pine Owner.
| Downtown Stakeholders, DLBA Directors, and members of the PBID Steering Committee discuss the PBID renewal project |
Downtown Long Beach’s Property Based Improvement District (PBID)
During a year-long public planning process that engaged Downtown stakeholders to help develop, create and refine the PBID Management Plan, over 1,000 voices played a role in articulating the community’s priorities and shaping the Plan. Thank you to everyone who has participated in this process thus far, but the process isn’t over yet and the PBID still needs your support.
The PBID is a special benefit assessment district formed in 1998 and renewed in 2003 that conveys special benefits to each individually assessed parcel located within the district boundaries. Downtown property owners are seeking to continue the PBID for an additional 10-year term before it expires in 2013. A renewed PBID will continue to provide funding for enhanced maintenance, public safety, beautification, marketing and economic development programs, above and beyond those provided by the City of Long Beach. Through these services, the PBID protects your investment in Downtown by ensuring that it is clean, safe, vibrant and prosperous.
Please consider demonstrating support for the PBID by attending City Council meetings; testifying at these meetings; writing letters to Mayor Bob Foster, Vice Mayor Dr. Suja Lowenthal of the 2nd Council District, and other council offices (www.longbeach.gov); and speaking with your neighbors, sharing with them the reasons you support the PBID, and encourage them to get involved.
PBID Management Plan
- Final PBID Management Plan
- Executive summary of the Final PBID Management Plan
- PBID Plan Development Timeline
Appendices and Supplementary Documents
- Draft Engineer’s Report
- FAQ on Engineer’s Report
- Assessment Roll
- Map of proposed PBID boundaries as displayed on a parcel map
- City of Long Beach Public Works Baseline Level of Service
- LBPD Baseline Level of Service
- Legal memo summarizing relevant case law
- Summary on the progression of the PBID Management Plan
- Review comments received from the residential open houses, online survey, and online public comment tool
Petitions
Stakeholders have the opportunity to sign a petition in support of the plan. The petition packet (sample above) makes the information reader-friendly, informative and property specific. The packets include a summary overview of the PBID Management Plan, the petition, a document that demonstrates how each assessment was determined and information on how to calculate their own assessment. If you are a property owner within the district and have not received your individualized petition packet, please contact the DLBA at 562-436-4259 or info@dlba.org.
After garnering the legal requirement of 50% plus one of the weighted vote through the petition process, all Downtown property owners within the PBID boundaries will receive a mail-in ballot from the City of Long Beach. As part of the ballot process, a mandatory public hearing will take place prior to Long Beach City Council ratifying or denying the vote.
Check back here to stay up-to-date on the remainder of the PBID process. If you have any questions, please feel free to call 562-436-4259 or send an email to info@dlba.org.
Watch the following video to learn more about why being ADA accessible is good for your small business, as well as how you can improve accessibility.
Danielle Portillo & Vivian Dominguez: Co-Owners of Bark! Bark!
With Bark! Bark! Client Cooper
Bark! Bark! is a doggie day care facility that provides a safe, healthy and fun environment for dogs. Danielle Portillo and Vivian Dominguez opened their first Bark! Bark! location in Downtown Long Beach on January 2, 2009. In the three years since they opened, their business has grown tremendously – they outgrew their original location and moved to a larger facility right next door (325 Atlantic Avenue), which allows them to provide accommodations for larger dogs and additional dogs. They’ve also opened a second location in Signal Hill.
Bark! Bark! is more than just a daycare facility for dogs, they also offer training packages, grooming options, overnight boarding (Signal Hill location only) and more. In addition to socializing and playing with other dogs while at doggie day care, dogs have plenty of personal attention from Bark! Bark! staff. Bark! Bark! has customizable training packages that include group classes, one-on-one training and at home training. They also offer discounted daycare packages and a monthly membership.
The following is an interview with Bark! Bark! co-owner Danielle Portillo.
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| Before | After: Revealed and restored ornate transoms and art deco zig-zags |
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| After: A newly articulated entrance beams with pride | After: The news once flew from these now-vestigial doors |
Nestled between the auto-oriented Long Beach Boulevard and the pedestrian Promenade, the Arts Building at 236 E. 3rd Street has patiently witnessed several generations of its neighbors come and go in Downtown Long Beach. As the decades passed – so too has architectural favor, from the suburban-styled Long Beach Plaza (demolished in 2000), to its subsequent replacement with the lifestyle center CityPlace, to the addition of the modern Lyon Promenade Lofts in 2009.
The Long Beach Fire Department informed the Downtown Long Beach Associates that a scam involving the fraudulent service of fire extinguishers. In recent cases, persons claiming to be fire extinguisher inspectors have charged businesses for work that was not performed. Some have even claimed to be representatives of the Fire Department of the City of Long Beach. This is a scam happening to Long Beach businesses owners.
Fire extinguishers are required to be inspected annually by a State Fire Marshal-licensed fire extinguisher company. Please be aware that the City of Long Beach does not offer this service. Make sure that inspectors have proper identification and are from a reputable company.
Additional safety tips:
- Private companies do not have the authority to require a business to have any inspections or work performed.
- Companies can refuse any service offered.
- Don’t pay in cash.
- Do not sign a blank invoice or any type of waiver. Know what you are signing.
- Educate employees of the possibility of fraud.
- Call 911 if fraudulent behavior is suspected.
- The companies must:
- Tell you what the name of the company is and produce a business card
- Describe the work and provide an estimate prior to any work performed
- Leave any parts they have replaced
- Leave a signed invoice
- Have a California State Fire Marshall Photo ID and a license issued by the California Contractor’s State License Board
- Have a City of Long Beach Business License.
If someone comes to your business asking to inspect your fire extinguishers, ask them for their ID, tell them you are not interested, and call the police on their non-emergency line: 562-435-6711, or if you feel threatened, call 911.
Owner of Outer Limits Tattoo, the Oldest Tattoo Shop in the United States
Kari Barba, a Long Beach resident since 1997 and owner of Downtown’s Outer Limits Tattoo, is a world renowned tattoo artist who has been in the business since 1979. During her career, she has opened four Outer Limits and won over 500 awards, including Best Tattooist three times (once by the International Tattoo Association and twice by the National Tattoo Association) and a lifetime achievement award (from the Hell City Tattoo Convention).
Established in 1927, Outer Limits is the oldest tattoo shop in the United States. In the early 2000’s, this Long Beach cultural icon, which has been housed in the Sovereign condominium building since the shop opened, was in danger of being lost. But Barba stepped in, bought the space, upgraded and renovated it, and renamed it, saving an integral and fascinating piece of Long Beach’s history.
When you visit the shop, the first thing you notice is all the work that Barba and her team put into the decor. Barba’s deep appreciation for the history behind the shop, the Sovereign building, and the Pike, is evident as you wander the space. While renovating the shop, Barba spent hours digging through the files at the Historical Society of Long Beach looking for old photos. Those photos, and many other interesting relics, now adorn the walls of Outer Limits. The tattoo artists that work there also helped with the renovation process – they pitched in on everything from the woodwork throughout the shop to painting the walls. The charming space also has a distinctive nautical theme, a clear homage to the intersecting history of Long Beach and the U.S. Navy. Proudly bearing the words Tattoo Museum, this business is truly reflective of Long Beach’s rich history. Even if tattoos are not your style, Outer Limits offers a friendly atmosphere with a wealth of captivating information on and photos of the tattoo industry, Outer Limits’ artists and proprietors, the original Pike, and Long Beach.
The DLBA is proud to welcome DG Boxing to Pine Avenue. Anthony Skalberg, a Long Beach native who graduated from Wilson High School, recently opened DG Boxing’s second location at 745 Pine Avenue in Downtown Long Beach. At their Grand Opening on Monday March 5, representatives from Councilmember Robert Garcia’s office and Skalberg will be on hand to provide celebratory remarks. The Grand Opening event will also feature a 15-minute boxing demonstration, BBQ, music, testimonials and more.
DG Boxing specializes in one-on-one training, as well as group training, whether you are a beginner or an experienced boxer. Check out their website for more information.
DG Boxing Grand Opening
Monday, March 5, 2012
5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
745 Pine Avenue
Long Beach, CA 90802
Greetings,
This note is an opportunity to recognize community members who have played an integral role in advancing the Downtown. We’d like to express appreciation to those individuals whose passion and creativity helps our community make great strides. Volunteerism and community involvement can take on all shapes and sizes – from advocating for an issue, attending community meetings or simply participating in a conversation – getting involved is a crucial component of being an engaged Downtown stakeholder. To cite a recent example, the dedicated hard work from hundreds of residents, businesses and community partners, helped gain City Council approval of the Downtown Plan, which will improve our ability to compete for high quality, smart development – this is a big victory for our vibrant urban center.
Last week, the DLBA hosted Celebrate Downtown, which featured the contributions made to Downtown and introduced the inaugural Spirit of Downtown Award. Designed to honor members of our community who embody the dedication, love and inspirational qualities of great leaders, the award was presented posthumous to the families of four individuals who made a substantial impact on the character of our Downtown and the City of Long Beach.
In 2011, we experienced the unfortunate passing of Larry Allison, Press Telegram’s Editorial Page Editor; Bill Baker, who served as Chair of the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency; Mark Bixby, bicycling advocate and avid community volunteer; and Shaun Lumachi, co-founder/publisher of the Long Beach Post and public policy consultant. The families of these four prominent leaders were recognized by the DLBA at Celebrate Downtown and as this award continues through the years, it will become associated with those who embody the same qualities and passions as these individuals.
Engaged citizens are vital to any community’s success. Thank you to the many who have made time in their busy schedules to work together – with the DLBA and other organizations – to advance our community. It’s important that we continue to work together to achieve our shared vision and grow our Downtown. We encourage more individuals to get involved and join others to help create a great sense of place. If you would like to become more engaged, the DLBA is a great starting point – between our task forces, committees and Board of Directors, we welcome feedback and contributions from everyone.
Please share this newsletter with your friends and family so that we can continue to spread the news about the great things happening in Downtown Long Beach.
Best Wishes,
John Sangmeister
Chairman
Downtown Long Beach Associates
