By KEITH GRANT
With the official selection of a Superblock developer about a month away, city officials believe they are closer than ever to the long-overdue development of the property.
"After 20 years of discussion and false starts and meetings, it looks like it may be developed this year," Nyman said. "We're still taking it step by step. We're still a month or so away from designating a developer, and even then it's not necessarily final. But it's more real than it's ever been."
The property running from Broadway to the Boardwalk, between Long Beach Blvd. and Riverside, has largely sat dormant for more than 20 years since a wrecking ball brought down the Long Beach Bowling Alley. Construction of a hotel, condominiums and restaurants on the site should, at long last, begin by the end of 2001 if all goes according to city officials' plans.
The City Council has been gradually putting together a team of outside consultants to assist on a full range of matters related to the project, from legal to environmental, and has cautioned residents that the project will be a step by step process. A public scoping session is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 16 at City Hall at 8 p.m. Officials will present a summary of four proposals for the site, and discuss a full gamut of impact issues.
However, the Superblock may not be the only capital project to break ground in 2001. The city intends to push forward in pursuit of the development of the Reynolds Channel waterfront property around the incinerator, and the construction of an $11 million parking garage for the central business district. State grants are expected to fund the latter project in full.
In October, the architectural firm of Dvirka and Bartilucci presented a conceptual design plan to the City Council, discussing the possibility of marinas, a museum, an urban environmental facility, a miniature golf course, a nature park, restaurants, small-scale retail stores and a fish market.
While that project remains a few years away, much closer to becoming a reality is the parking deck, which may see ground broken by year's end, Nyman said. Also on the horizon is the conversion of the former Jewish War Veterans building into a youth center. Nyman laments Long Beach's poor planning of the past, where the city let opportunities for youth and community centers slip through its fingers. Of course, hindsight, he noted, is 20/20.
"The hope is that we've learned form those mistakes," he said. "The JWV building is a perfect example of learning from history. When it became available, we moved on it. We didn't let it go."
In the central business district, Nyman noted that the Waldbaum's renovation has been a tremendous improvement. The city is hoping for a further upgrade to the stores within the mall, but Nyman, thus far, is pleased with the money Waldbaum's has invested into the renovation project.
To further the improvement of the area, he said the city is looking into community development dollars for other store front renovations, and the installation of low-cost brick-like sidewalks for the downtown area. Nyman also expressed a hope for a renovation of the Park Ave. parking malls from Riverside to Monroe in the near future. That work may turn out to coincide with the conversion of the Park Ave. Theater into a multi-plex. Owners have received variances to convert the building into a seven-theater cinema.
All in all, Nyman expects it to be a busy year.
"Every time you come to a council meeting this year, there will be something on the agenda that involves these projects," Nyman said. "I think there's a real optimism in the government, right now."
The only potential cloud on the horizon, Nyman feels, is the economy. If the economy drops, real estate values could plummet and throw a wrench into much of the long-term planning. Currently, he says, property values in the city are at an all-time high, and the city's finances, he says, are as strong as they've been in years.
"We've gone two years with no tax increase," he said. "Obviously, we would like to get a third. We're really tightening our belts to do that."
Though a number of local activists frequently dispute the claim, Nyman maintains that the city is in good financial shape. "I think the best shape the city has been in for generations. We've had a surplus for the last few years."
With its savings, the city in the last several years has taken to reconstructing 3 or 4 local streets each year, something that hadn't been done in 2 decades. Nyman says there are still about 25 streets that need to be tackled, and added that the city has bulkheads in disrepair in the canals that will need refurbishing.
"Plus, we've got work to do in the sewer and water plant, too," he said. "But we're looking to do as much as we can for the infrastructure."
Nyman envisions some savings coming from a continued streamlining of the city government, consolidating departments to cut costs. The city is also looking into staggering hours in nearly all departments to cut down on overtime costs.
