By KIMBERLY ACEVEDO
The upscale Palace, at 275 E. Broadway, had 70 rooms and a grand ballroom in its heyday, all of which had fallen into disrepair and been deemed structurally unsound, according to the developers Peter Cohen and Barry Popkin of Shoreline Townhouses. The hotel, which most recently was used as a home for the mentally disabled, has been vacant for the past two years.
"The Palace Hotel was in such decrepit condition," said Long Beach Building Commissioner Scott Kemins. It would cost more to repair the building, he said, than to replace it. Unfortunately, Kemins said, the neglect of previous owners resulted in serious damage to the interior and exterior of the building.
The new townhouses will be about 20 feet shorter than the four-story hotel. Demolition and construction costs are estimated at more than $7 million. Construction lasting about a year is scheduled to follow the four-week demolition, Cohen said. Ground-breaking for the new units is slated for early next spring.
Each townhouse will have two or three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a garage and additional parking. The units will range from 1,400 to 1,650 square feet, and prices are expected to be $450,000 and higher.
