The 43 acres of land that is largely referred to as the Queen Mary area (along with its additional 20 acres of surrounding waterfront) has been in long need of a facelift, leading to the creation of the Queen Mary Land Development Task Force as well as the assignment of a new Master Lessee of the area, Urban Commons. Shortly after Urban Commons formally introduced themselves to the city’s leading business owners and leaders this past weekend, the Los Angeles-based real estate and investment firm unveiled its plans for The Queen Mary’s $15M interior renovation project.
According to Urban Commons, this is the largest investment toward the Queen Mary since it opened—one that will be warmly welcomed as Urban Commons partners with Gensler, the same design firm that assisted with designing The Loop with us, to help the vision of restoring The Queen Mary to her glory days become a reality.
Dubbed a ”second Golden Era” for the ship by Mayor Robert Garcia, the renovation will eschew the ship’s largely dated room interiors and bring on better showers and bathroom fixtures, better mattresses, carpeting and window treatments while maintaining the Queen’s iconic art deco aesthetic. For example, British carpet manufacturer Brintons, the same company that designed of some of the original carpet on the ship, has been brought on to recreate those patterns in upgraded First-Class Stateroom. All 346 of ‘em.
“We all know that The Queen Mary is the Long Beach icon,” said Garcia. “Everyone knows about The Queen Mary. Everyone knows it’s part of our history. It’s really a proud moment of us to know that this ship and the land around the ship are going to so dramatically change and adapt in the years ahead.”
The interior plans precede the large-scale development aimed at bringing to life the 65 total acres surrounding the ship with retail, restaurants, bars and entertainment.
For more information about Urban Commons, visit the website here.