Long Beach is beginning the visioning process for a proposed LGBTQ+ corridor that is expected to be built along the Broadway Corridor, with a planned Oct. 27 community meeting, the city said Tuesday.

The City Council approved the concept in June. The corridor could stretch from Alamitos Avenue to Junipero Avenue, an area that has had historical significance to the LGBTQ+ community as it served as a place of political organizing and provided a safe space to gather for decades.

A community visioning meeting is scheduled at the Bixby Park Community Center on the night of Oct. 27, according to a city release, where residents can give their input on what should be included in the project that is meant to showcase queer local history.

“The Broadway Corridor is rich with history and at the heart of our LGBTQ+ community,” Mayor Robert Garcia said in a statement. “We are working with folks across the neighborhood and city at-large to ensure we properly recognize the corridor’s significance and celebrate Long Beach’s vibrant queer community.”

Garcia’s proposal in June said that the corridor could be a place where activists gather and support local businesses in the area, which has gained notoriety for being the heart of the LGBTQ+ community in the city.

For those not able to make it to the community meeting in person, an online survey is available where people can provide feedback virtually. The survey will be available on the proposed project’s website until Nov. 9. Options for the project could be presented to the full City Council by the end of the year, according to the city.

In the recently adopted fiscal budget, the City Council approved setting aside $1 million for planning and improvements for the proposed district. The last cultural district the city designated was the Cambodia Town district in Central Long Beach, which was created by the council in 2007.

The meeting is scheduled to run from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Bixby Park Community Center is located at 130 Cherry Ave. 

Broadway Corridor could be designated a cultural district celebrating LGTBQ history

Jason Ruiz covers City Hall and politics for the Long Beach Post. Reach him at [email protected] or @JasonRuiz_LB on Twitter.