Second+PCH:ProposedProject To

Create Iconic

EasternGateway

By ASHLEIGH OLDLAND

Staff Writer

A mixed-use development proposed forthe dreary area at the southwestern cornerof 2nd Street and Pacific Coast Highwayaims to create a seaside space for high-end retail, fine dining, residences, acycling center, a hotel and a universitytheater that will generate jobs and rev-enue for the City of Long Beach.

Simply titled Second+PCH, the proj-ect may be the key to revitalizing thearea currently housing the SeaPortMarina Hotel.

Though still at least two years frombreaking ground, the 10.9-acre site, whichis owned by TakiSun Inc. and being devel-oped by RCLCO Development ServicesGroup along with Ratkovich Properties,Rios Clementi Hale Studios and StudioOne Eleven, entered the city’s entitlementprocess in late April and has been submit-ted for site plan review.

Because 2nd Street and Pacific CoastHighway is a first impression for visi-tors to Long Beach as they travel fromPacific Coast Highway or the nearbyfreeways, the site could become aniconic eastern gateway to the city withthe right development.

Currently, many Long Beach residentscomplain that they must shop outside thecity to browse the aisles of high-end retailstores since Long Beach doesn’t offermany of the same shopping venues as LosAngeles, Costa Mesa or Newport Beach.One of the goals developers have forSecond+PCH is enticing well knownretailers to the proposed 220,000 squarefeet of retail and restaurant space and100-room boutique hotel.

“This is intended to be an intimate,pedestrian-only shopping experience,” saidCliff Ratkovich, president of RatkovichProperties. “We are bringing the kinds ofupscale retailers to Long Beach that cur-rently don’t exist in the city.”

He added that the project will attractretailers like those at South Coast Plazaor Fashion Island.

Plans for a revolutionary cycling centertie in with the city’s bicycle master plan tomake Long Beach a more bicycling-friendly city. The cycling center will fea-ture retail such as equipment, clothing andaccessories, as well as a fitness and train-ing facility, bike valet, indoor-outdoorcafé and velocipede outreach programs.

“You have this confluence of the SanGabriel River trail and Pacific CoastHighway . . . in this location [where]we’ve cast this vision of something thatfrankly doesn’t exist anywhere in thecountry,” Ratkovich said. “[It’s] puttingunder one roof the very best we can thinkof that relates to cycling.”

SECOND+PCH PROJECT20 Long Beach Business Journal May 26-June 8, 2009

The proposed repertory theatre and entrance to the project from Pacific Coast Highway.

The pedestrian-onlyretail street.

The 10.9-acre site on the southeast corner of 2nd Street and Pacific Coast Highway currently houses the SeaPort Marina hotel. The proposed project calls for 200,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space,a 100-room boutique hotel, 325 residential units and about 1,750 parking spaces – most of them underground. Additionally, the developers are building at their cost a 99-seat Cal Rep Theater and a CoastalScience Center for university and community use. Nearly half of the project is open space. (Rendered images provided by RCLCO)

Working with California StateUniversity, Long Beach, the project’sdevelopment team has also devised acoastal learning center and a 99-seat CalRepertory Theater. The Coastal ScienceCenter will be a place for people of allages to learn about wetlands and marinebiology. The developers will build thelearning center and theater as a donationto the community.

“If we do this right and we build itright and we program it right, then peo-ple are going to have an enormousamount of pride in the kind of thing thathappens at this location,” DavidMalmuth, managing director of RCLCO,said about the theater.

Five acres, or nearly half of the proj-ect’s acreage, will be dedicated to openspace. Plazas, widened sidewalks, decksand terraces will incorporate views of theocean and wetlands.

There will be 1,700 on-site parkingspaces above and below ground.Additionally, the project would createboat slips for residents and guests as wellas linkages with Long Beach Transit anda shuttle connecting Second+PCH toBelmont Shore.

The proposed venture would generatean estimated $2.1 million annual net rev-enues to the city and 920 permanent jobsafter completion, as well as constructionjobs during the build-out of theLeadership in Environmental Designstandard project, Malmuth said.

“There is sort of the parochial 3rdDistrict story, which is important to payattention to,” said Carl Kemp, managingpartner of The Kemp Group, which isdirecting community outreach and gov-ernment relations for the project. “But thelarger city story is that this is a huge eco-nomic stimulus project with jobs anddirect benefit to the city’s General Fund.”

But after more than 100 public meet-ings with an estimated total of 750 atten-dees, Kemp said some area residents andcity officials are still questioning thebuilding heights, resulting traffic conges-tion and population density of the project.

The developers hired Fehr & Peers,transportation consultants, to conduct aninitial traffic study to determine theimpact of the project on traffic condi-tions. Fehr & Peers revealed that of 25intersections, development could impactseven before mitigation; however, pro-posed mitigations fully prevent anyimpact and improve overall performanceat six of the seven intersections.

Also, the developers expect to offloadsome of the traffic at the intersection of2nd and Pacific Coast Highway by creat-ing two new traffic lights for a throughstreet as the entrance to the project. Thethrough street would run parallel to 2ndStreet, connecting Pacific Coast Highwayto Marina Drive.

Some locals argue against the buildingheight –  the proposed project includessome five- and six-story buildings as wellas a 12-story “signature building.”

“There are some that are against the

height, others that areembracing the height,” saidRatkovich. “It is not cut-and-dry anywhere we go.”

The project developers saythat Second+PCH will notobstruct any residentialviews, and Malmuth pointsto other tall buildings in thearea to show that such heightis not foreign to East LongBeach. The power plant at2nd Street and Studebaker is15 stories, the Portofino at2nd Street and Bayshore isseven stories, and the VAhospital located 1.3 milesfrom the site is 12 stories.

Third DistrictCouncilmember GaryDeLong said that while theproject site needs to bedeveloped to better serve thecommunity, it is too early to tell ifSecond+PCH is the best option for thearea. Additionally, DeLong said he isconcerned that the project does not fullymitigate its traffic impacts.

“I won’t know if this is the best devel-opment opportunity until I’ve had anopportunity to see what the consensus isin the community,” DeLong said. “I’mgoing to keep an open mind as we gothrough the process. . . . I’m hoping thatsome version of this project will be sup-ported by the community.”

The developers emphasize thatSecond+PCH is an important projectbecause it will beautify an unattractivearea and generate revenue for the city.

“The development in and of itself is agreat gateway into Long Beach –  a finegreeting to a fine city,” Kemp said.

SECOND+PCH PROJECTMay 26-June 8, 2009 Long Beach Business Journal 21

The proposed pier above outdoor community space.

The pick-up and drop-off area in the center of the proposed project.

View from East Marina Drive