by John Sangmeister
It has been my privilege to serve as Chairman of the Downtown Long Beach Associates. The Board and Staff are an amazing group who care deeply about our Downtown and the quality of life for all who call it their own. The role of outgoing Chair affords a few privileges, one of which is to share some thoughts about our organization, our community and our future.
Residents Are Key to the Future of Downtown
We, as a community are now faced with a choice. How we grow will determine the character and quality of life for our Downtown and Long Beach as a whole. Pride in ownership of our community can only come from a robust and vital residential population. Will our Downtown grow to be an Atlantic City or New Orleans or can we grow to become more like Seattle or Sydney? Ultimately expanding residential ownership of our Downtown is the path to greatest prosperity for all stakeholders. Vibrant retail, busy street-scapes and an engaged citizenry are well within our grasp.
Our Community: Become Impatient with the Status Quo
Our City is bogged down by a tremendous amount of institutional inertia. In a regional, national and international arena our Downtown needs to be more competitive. Relying on incremental growth and business-as-usual will doom our Downtown’s potential. It is incumbent upon our downtown’s stakeholders to expect, if not demand, greater levels of cooperation from all agencies public, private and quasi that carry the Long Beach brand. This is not a Zero-Sum-Game as we share common goals of safety, quality of life and economic opportunity.
At all costs, we must resist the continued Balkanization of our community.
The Future: Be Bold, Dream Big
Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks, once said, “I’d encourage everyone to dream big, lay your foundations well, absorb information like a sponge, and not be afraid to defy conventional wisdom. Just because it hasn’t been done before doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.”
We have an enormous opportunity in developing our community. How we best utilize valuable real estate in a method that integrates all areas of the Downtown for the highest and best use is vital. Filling the empty holes along Ocean Boulevard with beautiful, high quality projects should be a top priority. These projects need to be bold and transformational in design and scale.
Now is the time.
When Doug Manchester chose to build the Grand Hyatt in Downtown San Diego, that city was in a severe real estate recession. As construction commenced, fully three luxury condo projects stood near vacant directly across the street from his project. Yet this project ignited a renaissance in the Gaslamp. The Convention Center expanded, near residential projects were developed and purchased, Petco Park was completed and three new hotels were built.
Our community came together with the passage of the Downtown Plan, now it is our collective responsibility to see it through to spectacular result.
How should our City look in 5, 10, 25 years? Great examples exist around the Globe. Barcelona, Darling Harbor Sydney, Fremantle, Western Australia, Seattle, Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and San Diego were gritty waterfronts that transformed to World-Class communities for residents and visitors alike. How they approached the development of the waterfront and its connection with the entire community was critical to their success. Is our Waterfront to remain a Special Events staging area used 50 days annually or can we develop a more comprehensive solution that allows for these events but provides greater utility and grandeur 365 days of the year? How we tackle these questions is important. As we look to our own Downtown, let’s ask thoughtful questions, engage in rigorous debate and DREAM BIG about what it can and should be.
It was an honor to have worked alongside such an enthusiastic and active group of community leaders. Such passion will insure a brighter tomorrow.