Design image courtesy of City of Long Beach.
Concessions stands at Alamitos, Junipero and Granada beaches will be receiving complete makeovers within the next few years, according to city officials.
The building projects will focus on improving food concession stands, recreational beach rentals, such as bicycles and paddleboards, and public restrooms.
In a Facebook post, Mayor Robert Garcia said that the city plans “to make these spaces into unique food destinations for the whole family.”
Construction is slated to begin in 2018, provided all entitlements and a permit from the California Coastal Commission are approved, according to Tony Resendez from the city manager’s office.
Resendez said that the cost for the renovations at Alamitos Beach is estimated to be $4.7 million, with an estimate of $650,000 per concession building. Additionally, the city council approved $1.7 million for beach playgrounds, recreational amenities and other areas of high use. The beach will remain open during construction, which is expected to last about one year.
The projected cost for the Granada and Junipero improvements is estimated at $650,000 each, according to Resendez.
The money for the projects is coming from the City of Long Beach Tidelands Capital Improvement Division, which funds all new development projects within the Tidelands area.
All current concession buildings are city owned and leased to private vendors like Alfredo’s Beach Club at Alamitos Beach. Resendez said that the city intends to release a request for proposal to operate the various locations.
At a June 4, 2016 community open house, residents made suggestions for improvements to the Alamitos Beach Concession Building.
On a vision board, community members wrote down ideas for food vendors such as Hot Dog on a Stick, local brewing companies, Jamba Juice and food trucks. Residents also suggested adding workout equipment, basketball courts, a playground for younger children, a dog park and an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant path to the waterfront.
More open house events have been held for all three locations, the most recent took place last week, in order to give the community input on the design process.
From those recent meetings, preliminary plans were introduced for the three beach concession locations.
The design concept for Alamitos Beach focuses on “the promenade,” with inspiration coming from the Annenberg Beach House in Malibu, Perry’s Cafe in Santa Monica and the Cactus Club in English Bay, Vancouver.
Some of the features in the design include a game box with ping pong tables, cornhole and chess tables and a play dune, with grass mounds, a slide and a scramble wall.
At Junipero Beach, a “Treasure Island” playground has been designed along with a fitness station. Granada Beach also has a designed fitness station, with the playground themed to be “tidepool.”
To see the completed concept artwork and improvement ideas click here.
Editor’s note: this story was updated 2/24/17 with the projected costs of the Granada and Junipero improvements, the projected completion date for the Alamitos improvement project and the accessibility of the beach during the construction phase.