A couple of months ago, the Long Beach Business Journal ran an article about the arts in Long Beach, focusing in part on the lack of investment in creative community. It was a thoughtful contribution to the larger discussion taking place in the city about the potential economic benefits of a successful arts community. A striking part of the article included information about a proposal to redevelop the Terrace Theater Plaza (where Long Beach Boulevard meets Ocean Boulevard downtown). An enticing computer rendering on the front page showed a new mixed-use development, including a new art museum and a redesigned Terrace Theater Plaza.
However, I had mixed feelings about this image. The concept was certainly bold and exciting, but I am actually rather fond of the plaza we have now. As it currently exists, the primary design purpose of the plaza is to act as an entryway to the Terrace Theater itself. The urban square is quite formal in this respect, nearly symmetrical in design. From the street, walls on either side of the plazas main entrance focus one’s view forward, highlighting the plaza’ water fountain and the façade of the theater behind it. Theater patrons typically arrive from Ocean Boulevard, walking up a short flight of wide stairs. This has the practical purpose of allowing an additional level of parking below, while affording an ocean view to the southeast.
The combination of the short walls with the higher grade of the entryway creates a sense of separation from the street, allowing visitor to leave behind the workaday world: only the imposing mass of the city’s largest stage remains, framing the southern edge of the space. The surrounding towers along Ocean Boulevard form a striking backdrop, making the space seem like a roof deck atop a high-rise building—when in fact, it lies a mere four or five feet above street level.
The grand water fountain that anchors the center of the Terrace Theater Plaza gives life to what might otherwise be considered an austere space. This central water feature is made up of two components. An entrée square welcomes those entering from Ocean Boulevard with pillars of water shooting from thirteen jets in its center flanked on either side by arcing streams of water. It encourages visitors to pause and enjoy the space that it creates, like sitting around a campfire on a cool night. The second part of the water feature is a rectilinear fountain, half a block long, leading one towards the theater lobby. These two components are linked by an upper shelf that gently pours water over its edge, providing a calming atmosphere as one travels deeper into the space. At the end of the water fountain is a modest patch of grass, sized more for small gatherings or large picnics than a game of soccer or football. To either side of this square lawn are lower terraces that lead to other portions of the Performing Arts Center. Gaps between the stairs leading to these lower terraces allow sunlight to shine on the roadway below.
While the Terrace Theater Plaza thus effectively connects the theater to its downtown environs, the landscaping leaves much to be desired, constituted primarily of sad shrubs and trees in a permanent state of adolescence. Since the plaza is built over a parking structure, its landscaping consists predominantly of raised concrete planter boxes. These planters are arranged symmetrically in the plaza, flanking either side of the central water fountain. The central portion is open with few planters, while those along the edges are denser, arranged in clusters to create more intimate spaces.
The only thing that prevents the Terrace Theater Plaza from becoming the great urban space Long Beach needs is… people. Rarely are there more than a half-dozen occupants, leaving only the sound of the water to animate the space. In theory, there should be no shortage of potential users, given the thousands of resident units and millions of square feet of office space to be found within a quarter-mile. Indeed, the two massive residential towers of Aqua are linked directly to the space by a pedestrian bridge. Despite this apparent accessibility, to date there is little additional activity before productions in the Terrance Theater, or during even the largest conventions.
Adding more features to this downtown square, along with some minor repositioning and updated design for its existing features, could help draw significantly more users. Great urban spaces like Union Square in San Francisco and Pioneer Square in Portland have permanent features like cafes and coffee shops, with interior spaces limited to food preparation so that they rely on outdoor dining to fulfill their seating capacity. Many of these city squares are constantly filled entertainment, from performances and classes to exhibitions, providing reasons for visitors to return again and again.
Terrace Theater Plaza has the potential to be one of the great public spaces of Southern California, and only a modest capital investment would be necessary to make a big difference. To offset those costs, there is the opportunity to create public-private partnerships. A number of great urban parks have benefited from similar relationships, including Bryant Park in New York (a remodeled space) and Millennium Park in Chicago (a new space). Both now serve as catalysts for significant private development on adjacent blocks.
Perhaps just a greater awareness of this unique downtown square might draw more users, making the space more inviting. In that case, consider this column to be an official notice regarding one of the most enjoyable places in Long Beach. Even if the improvements I suggest above are never made, I will continue to enjoy the Terrace Theater Plaza. Hopefully, if some simple steps are taken, this great urban space will be enjoyed by all.
