Local officials are giving a property owner one last chance to clean up or demolish a pair of abandoned buildings that have blighted a North Long Beach neighborhood.
The two buildings are on a disused lot on Long Beach Boulevard just north of Victoria Street. They once housed a gas station and a combination Chinese food and Louisiana Fried Chicken restaurant, but in recent years have become a haven for squatters and graffiti.
On Monday, a city board that regulates building safety voted to notify the property owners that they have until Aug. 21 to either demolish or rehabilitate the structures. After that, the city can step in and do so itself.
This is a rare step for the city to take, according to Angel Arredondo, a code enforcement bureau manager.
Arredondo called this a “more extreme” case of neglect, saying the city has tried to work out a solution with the property owner, but “nothing seems to work.”
Records show the buildings are owned by Golcheh Developments and Investments, a Los Angeles-based developer focused on gas stations and discount stores. The group has properties across the region, including listings in Compton, Santa Ana and Hawaiian Gardens.
The company and a property manager did not respond to calls from the Long Beach Post.
Complaints about the buildings started as early as June 2024, city records show. They described the boards ripped from doors and windows, windows smashed, trash including wine bottles strewn around the property and walls covered with graffiti.
Code enforcement declared the site substandard in May, after inspections found, among other issues, the buildings were being occupied by homeless people.
According to logs from a city code inspector, a property manager said Golcheh Developments previously tried to demolish the buildings, but “no one wants to take the job because of the homeless.”
Code enforcement records show the city cleaned and boarded up the buildings in early May. Weeks later, people had already broken in and were once again living inside.