The first of several planned meetings to gather input on rezoning Long Beach’s Downtown and waterfront entertainment area will be held Sept. 9, the city has announced.
The area covered by the existing Downtown Plan (north of Ocean Boulevard) was last rezoned in 2012, but since then, the city has exceeded the 5,000 housing units originally envisioned. Also, because of the pandemic and other changes in how people work and shop, city officials want to revisit the area’s blueprint for office and retail space.
The other area to be reimagined stretches from the Los Angeles River to Shoreline Drive, between Ocean Boulevard and the waterfront — it hasn’t seen a comprehensive update to its plans since the 1970s, according to a city news release.
The city wants to hear from residents, business owners and workers, and other stakeholders about how they’d like to see those areas develop. Two key issues to be considered are planning for housing at all income levels and preventing current tenants from being displaced, the press release said.
The Sept. 9 open house, set from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., will be held at the Billie Jean King Main Library, 200 W. Broadway, with interpreters in Spanish, Khmer and Tagalog available. Those who want to attend can RSVP here.
Additional meetings will be held, but dates have not been announced.