After a nearly seven-year battle, the acquisition of Schroeder Hall took a final step Friday when it was announced that a tentative agreement has been reached to place a federally mandated homeless facility not adjacent to the former Army hall south of the airport, but instead in Central Long Beach, next door to what is currently a county-owned mental health facility. 

U.S. Army-owned Schroeder Hall on Willow St. at Grand Ave. was offered to the City of Long Beach in 2006 as a “surplus property”–that is, federally owned land that is no longer needed by the federal government. Under the federal Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process, local governmental re-use of military facilities, in this case the former Schroeder Hall, requires that a homeless accommodation also be included in the plans.

As originally proposed, the City had hoped to turn the entirety of the facility, located in the 5th District, into an East Division substation for the Long Beach Police Department to replace the currently overcrowded, almost 50-year-old station on Los Coyotes Diagonal. To follow the mandate, the City had proposed that the nonprofit Mental Health America (MHA) open a day-hours mental health facility for the homeless across the street from Schroeder in an open one-acre lot.

This proposal stirred up the ire of residents in the Stearns Park neighborhood, the residence nearest to the proposed facility, located about 1.5 miles away. A neighborhood watch group headed by resident Joe Sopo spoke out against the project, citing fears of people “hidden under the freeways” and that those who are “treatment-resistant” would infiltrate the residences.

As of October last year, the City maintained that not only were no other sites available for the MHA facility, but the Feds could build one no matter what–with Long Beach losing the Hall for a substation in the process.

However, it seems that the MHA facility has found a new home in the 6th District at 1955 Long Beach Boulevard–a locale suggested by 5th District Councilmember Gerrie Schipske. The proposed site is adjacent to the Blue Line and less than a block from hundreds of residences that span 20th Street between Long Beach Boulevard and Pacific Avenue.

Despite her email battle with 4th District Councilmember Patrick O’Donnell last October where she claimed she “strongly expressed disagreement with any location that is directly behind residences,” Schipske suggested the property to city staff as a new location.

6th District Councilmember Dee Andrews expressed happiness at the new project, which will provide a $4 million facelift to the building which seeks to provide neighborhood-friendly amenities in addition to its mental health services.

“What we have done here is create a positive benefit for the community,” said Andrews in a press release. “Under this arrangement, the 6th District will receive much needed retail and provided amenities for the neighborhood. The plan calls for an outside patio, coffee, refreshments, deli, bakery, meeting space for the community to come together, and free wi-fi. This $4 million investment brings jobs with professional employees working at the location, as well as job training, and a great retail establishment to reactivate this section of Long Beach Boulevard to serve all of the Long Beach community.”

The Homeless Healthcare Access Center will offer mental and physical health care services and job training to homeless individuals. In addition to a lease agreement for the first 10 years, MHA has agreed to establish a good neighbor program.

City Council will hear and vote on the new proposal for Schroeder Hall at tonight’s meeting.

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