Good morning, Long Beach. It’s Monday, Nov. 3. Here’s what you need to know to start your day. Sign up to get this in your inbox each week at LBPost.com/newsletters.
City meetings
Final designs are set to come before the city Planning Commission Thursday for a new 11,000-seat amphitheater along the Long Beach waterfront.
The amphitheater was first unveiled at the start of the year by Mayor Rex Richardson during his State of the City address. Previously expected to be built ahead of the 2026 spring season, the venue is now scheduled to be built by the summer. Once erected, it will run for an initial 10-year period, meant to catapult the city’s pull on larger music acts and shows.
In its first years, planners estimate more than 300,000 people will attend more than 100 shows at the amphitheater, ranging from large concerts to concentrated community events.
Construction will remove the 660-space lot meant for overflow parking at the Queen Mary. Grandstands at 36 feet high will face the 51-foot-high stage
City designers say the stage’s location — which will face the sea — will funnel the noise away from downtown apartments and hotels, and will monitor decibel levels for “real-time volume adjustments.”
The nearby existing 400-space lot will be reserved for employees, artists, promoters, prepaid VIP parking and ADA drivers. In its report, city planners say the majority of attendees are expected to arrive and depart through a transit network of bikes, buses, water taxi and ridesharing service — a system similar to the Greek Theater and Hollywood Bowl, they added.
There’s even the possibility of a bike valet service for those who ride in on their own two wheels.
Art pieces — murals, sculpted panels, light fixtures — will be installed along the backside of the amphitheater to mask the scaffolding. Automated license plate readers will be set up at the entrances and exits, while cameras and security will patrol the site to make sure crowds don’t bleed over into the adjacent Harry Bridges Memorial Park.
Elsewhere on the city’s agenda, the Transactions and Use Tax Citizens’ Advisory Committee on Thursday will hear two updates on projects and plans paid for by the Long Beach Measure A sales tax. And the Utilities Commission is expected to award a $20 million contract for a water and sewer project at the Haynes power plant.
Business events and information
- Registration is open for wintertime classes, Long Beach. Starting Monday, more than 700 classes will be available through the city’s Parks, Recreation and Marine Department, catering to all ages and interests. Classes will run December to February. For more information or to register, visit the links provided or call 562-570-3111. You can also visit the city’s Registration Reservations Office (2760 Studebaker Rd.), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- The Women’s Business Council will have its Holiday Glam Mixer Novel U Wellness and Med Spa on Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. For the ticket price of $20 — $30 for non-members — attendees can imbibe drinks and well-meaning company while learning about beauty and wellness. For more information, visit here.
- Election Day is Tuesday. The voter referendum will decide the fate of Proposition 50, a redistricting plan that would suspend the state’s own congressional district maps and allow new ones through 2030. For our coverage on the ballot measure, visit here. Ballots can be mailed or returned to any ballot drop box or vote center. Drop boxes will remain open until 8 p.m. on Nov. 4. All voters may track their submitted ballots here. A list of in-person voting centers, same-day registration and accessible options can be found here.
ICYMI — California and national news
- City opens long-awaited shelter at former Luxury Inn (Long Beach Post)
- Reusable cups do reduce waste, and Long Beach wants to prove it (Long Beach Post)
- Driverless freight trains on Southern California rails? This L.A. startup is already testing them (Los Angeles Times)
- Shopping for ACA health plans this open enrollment? Here’s what to know (NPR/LAist)
- Why your local Gold’s Gym may be getting a new name (Los Angeles Times)