The Long Beach City Council will vote Tuesday to rename a parklet in North Long Beach in honor of Dan Pressburg, a longtime figure in the community who helped usher in the region’s “uptown” renaissance.

“I think it’s an honor. At least I’m alive to enjoy it,” Pressburg, who is a week away from his 72nd birthday, said with a chuckle.

Councilman Rex Richardson, who oversees District 9 in North Long Beach, proposed renaming the South Street Parkway parklet to The Pressburg Parkway.

“The names should really represent our communities and their aspirations and history,” Richardson said. “It really helps recognize the importance of civic responsibility.”

Pressburg has been a North Long Beach fixture for decades. He moved there from the South Bay in the late 1970s. South Street Parkway was the first public parklet in the city and was located just 15 feet away from Pressburg’s home. Some referred to it at Pressburg’s backyard.

Dan Pressberg
Dan Pressburg, president of the DeForest Park Neighborhood Association, in front of his home in Long Beach Friday, April 5, 2019. Photo by Thomas R Cordova.

From birthday celebrations to neighborhood concerts, the small open space proved to be a place of community for residents of North Long Beach, but getting it to that point took hard work and dedication, with Pressburg leading most of those efforts along the way.

The space at the corner of South Street and Jaymills Avenue was a “horrid mess,” Pressburg said. Weeds grew 6 feet tall, and animals of all types, including two non-venomous king snakes, lived on the small plot of land and would venture out into people’s yards. Pressburg called on city officials to figure out what to do with the area.

He and members of the North Long Beach Community Action Group came together to clean up the space. They removed garbage and acquired funding through grants to plant trees. From 1996, Pressburg and other community members watched over the park. It became an open space where children played sports and others in the community came to unwind.

Soccer balls kicked around at the park often ended up flying into Pressburg’s home office.

“I changed that window about six times from all the balls that smashed it,” he said.

But Pressburg’s community activism goes beyond the park’s white fences; he also played a role in how the region has been governed in the last decade. Steve Neal was elected councilman of District 9 in 2010 and was the first Black man to hold office in a community that was predominantly Black.

Neal said he considers Pressburg a friend. When Neal was on the council, Pressburg helped his administration connect with the community.

Neal said one of his fondest memories of Pressburg was his holiday get together where he brought all the regional elected officials to his home to meet with members of the community. The meeting has been regarded as a staple in North Long Beach, Neal said.

“There couldn’t be anyone more deserving,” Neal said.

Richardson, who was Neal’s chief of staff at the time, said Pressburg facilitated the new development projects Neal’s administration was trying to bring to North Long Beach.

Richardson said Neal’s visions for the community often received pushback from older residents—or the old guard.

“There was a big transition of power,” Richardson said. “Some older folks hesitated with the Uptown renaissance, but [Pressburg] contributed to the new movement of North Long Beach. We all want the area to improve, and he was a valuable partner.”

Richardson carried on Neal’s vision through his Uptown renaissance campaign, which saw the creation of projects such as the Michelle Obama Library and, most recently, the developments at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Artesia Boulevard. Pressburg was always behind the scenes, giving counsel to Richardson and other leaders that came after.

“I can consider myself a beneficiary of that mentorship,” Richardson said.

Pressburg still remains active in the community as president of the DeForest Park Neighborhood Association. He continues to share resources with North Long Beach residents through the North Long Beach News Facebook group that he administers.

“I’m just happy that I can be a little bit of a part of it,” Pressburg said.