$1 billion Golden Shore Master Plan approved by Long Beach City Council [Press-Telegram, Long Beach, Calif.]

Apr. 22--LONG BEACH -- A massive, $1 billion development that would change the face of downtown over the course of a decade won approval night.

The City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to amend the Local Coastal Program and the Downtown Shoreline Planned Development District to allow the mixed-use project known as the Golden Shore Master Plan. The council also voted to send the matter to the California Coastal Commission, which must sign off on the land use changes.

The project site south of Ocean Boulevard and bordered by Shoreline Drive on the west and south isn't zoned for the planned use. The location is currently home to City National Bank, Union Bank and Molina Healthcare, all three of which would be demolished.

The project is a joint venture of Molina Healthcare and the Keesal, Young & Logan law firm, who own the property, and is headed up by developer George Medak.

The ambitious development may take one of three possible forms, although the biggest difference is one element being only residential or also including a hotel. The plan is organized around pedestrian-oriented places and open areas.

Whatever form it takes, the Golden Shore project could include any of the following: a maximum of 1,370 residential condominiums, 340,000 square feet of office space, 28,000 square feet of retail space, a 400-room hotel, 27,000 square feet of conference and banquet facilities, and up to 3,430 parking spaces.

In March, the

Planning Commission approved the environmental impact report for the development, which is expected to take eight to 10 years to complete. Assuming the Coastal Commission signs off on the plan, the Planning Commission will still have to approve individual building designs and other aspects of the project as it advances.

Most council members stood firmly behind the project Tuesday for the merits of the development as well as for the jobs it will create. Medak told the council that at its

peak, the Golden Shore construction will create 2,200 jobs.

"This is an opportunity to really remake the Long Beach skyline, and we don't get many projects like this," 1st District Councilman Robert Garcia said.

Medak said Wednesday that both companies, whose owners have longtime Long Beach connections, want to create a high-quality development. He explained that the development group is embarking on the undertaking during a recession in preparation for better economic times.

"If we waited for good times to embark on a project like this ... by the time we got through the entitlement process, the good times might be gone," Medak said.

Garcia said that although for some people "density" is a scary word, he

John Molina (Diandra Jay/Press-Telegram)

is excited by the development's density, particularly the residential element.

"I think for our downtown to really succeed, we've got to have more people," Garcia said.

He and other council members asked what kind of fees and public amenities would be required of the developers. City management said those stipulations would be placed on the project as each element goes to the Planning Commission, but would include costs such as parks and recreation impact fees and transportation impact fees.

There would also be offsite improvements to pedestrian walkways on Ocean Boulevard and Golden Shore Street, and Medak said the project near the mouth of the Los Angeles River would improve public access to the waterfront.

Medak said Wednesday it will be a while before work begins.

Getting Coastal Commission approval could take as long as five or six months, he said, after which he would take the first building plans to the city perhaps six months later. In 1 1/2 years, demolition on the first building in line -- the Molina Healthcare offices, which are to be replaced with a 19-story office tower that would be the company's new home -- could begin, Medak said.

Because of inflation and the decade-long development process, the project's total cost "will be a little in excess of a billion dollars," Medak estimated.

Third District Councilman Gary DeLong asked city staff Tuesday to streamline the approval process where possible.

"Let's see if we can remove as many obstacles and impediments as we possibly can," DeLong said.

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