Long Beach Unified is moving forward with the potential sale of seven properties considered “surplus,” one of which houses the district’s headquarters in a largely industrial area of West Long Beach.
The district, the largest landowner in the city, is looking to move to a part of the city “with more community access,” Alan Reising, facilities development and planning administrator for the district, said at a Board of Education meeting this week. No specific sites for the new headquarters were disclosed.
The district offices are currently housed at 1515 Hughes Way.
The other properties include two vacant sites—999 Atlantic Ave. and 4310 Long Beach Blvd.—and four other locations that house district programs or offices:
- 723 Long Beach Blvd.
- 2201 E. Market St. (which houses the district’s warehousing and procurement operations)
- 2425 Webster Ave. (which houses the district’s facilities and maintenance operations)
- 2700 Pine ave. (which houses the district’s transportation services)
The process to sell the properties began in 2017, when a district committee identified the sites as surplus. In October, the board voted unanimously to authorize a resolution that allowed staff to assess options for the land, including sale or re-purposing the properties.
At the October meeting, LBUSD boardmember Megan Kerr said she’d like to see the district consider selling to an affordable housing provider, a request she restated this week.
“We are the largest landholder in the city of Long Beach, and parcels like this will never be available again in the city,” Kerr said. “We need to do some thinking that aligns with the values of our community.”
The board decided to receive the proposal as an information item and to delay the vote approving the district beginning the process to sell the properties because they wanted more information on the legal side of that process.
“We’re asking for clarity on options in the recommendation and clarity around what we are required to do by law, as well as more information around community benefit,” said boardmember Juan Benitez.
Benitez and Kerr both emphasized that they’re not looking to stop the district from selling the properties, but for clarification around the legal process of how the parcels are sold and to whom.
If, as expected, the district does go forward with the sale, the sales are likely to provide a significant cash infusion as well as restructuring the way the district’s administration operations are physically laid out.
The item will be re-presented for a formal vote at the next LBUSD Board meeting on April 14.