InsideLongBeach.com

Does anybody have any info on these 2 long beach developments?
I am trying to post an update on my blog and I haven't found any new news for over a year.

thanks,
Anthony

I've not heard anything new. The previous plan I heard of sounds like it will be the beginning of the end of Long Beach as we know it.

They've been talking about this for the entire 15 years I've lived here, so I've simply tuned it out.

yeah I'm still up in the air whether I'm for it or against it. I think of the possibilities it might bring, but then I also think about more traffic and such. I am not one of those Not in my backyard type folks and I am in favor of development - as long as it's smart development. That is why I suggested a "Green" park for the lot next door at foundation block on my blog. I want both - smart development and open space. One thing for sure, what's currently there is an eyesore.

I'm not the "not in my backyard type either" - however, here are the issues that I see -

1. Long Beach has been here before, and it obviously didn't work. There were hotels in the past. They sort of decayed and became eyesores and largely went away.

2. Hotels make the town a tourist town. Do you want to live in a tourist town? Or in a town that has a sense of community? I prefer ... and miss ... the strong sense of community that Long Beach had about 15 years ago when I first moved here. It still has it, but it's not quite same and becoming progressively dilluted.

3. They'll try to sell you on the revenue it will bring in, helping reduce your tax burden and such. That's just nonsense. It's easy to do the math.

4. This is perhaps the most important point - if you let one hotel in, then you can no longer exlude others that want to come in here. That's an anticompetitive issue. I have experience providing expert testimony in zoning hearings, so I have some familiarity with the associated laws.

5. There is no empty open land left here. I'm unclear why there is a need (other than money) to develop every last square foot of land. The city is over-developed as it currently stands, with two new boardwalk buildings in construction and opening very soon. A park would be nice. But, it doesn't bring in lots of money for the city. It costs the city money. In theory, we are not even supposed to be developing barrier islands - they are the natural protection of the shorelines. Again, I'm not clear on why every last inch of land needs to be developed. It becomes a never-ending proposition once you use up all of the land - just look at what's going on along the West Side of Manhattan or the Brooklyn and Queens waterfront. Everything is now getting built up and the overdevelopment is obscenely out of control.

6. In theory, adding a major hotel will take away from local business. Although it can be argued that if it brings more people down here, they will patronize local business as well. It's hard to forecast the answer on that one.

7. If you look at any shorefront towns where they begin developing hotels, they've essentially been destroyed.

In most cases, this city has done a good job with development and continous improvement. If a hotel is built here, I think that will prove to be a major mistake in Long Beach history.

Again, a park would be nice. But I have no issue with undeveloped land.

Let's fix the boardwalk, the roads and renovate City Hall. That's development I'd be happy about.

mrk

I would add the bayfront to the boardwalk, the roads and renovate City Hall to fix.

I don't want the bayfront to become disney land, but a nice small marina with a promenade that goes under the bridge to the tennis courts would be nice.


I do agree that I don't want Long Beach to become tourist central, but development is gonna happen and I just want it to be smart development. It looks like the city is really looking into the major issues with have like parking.

I am still not sure if I am in favor of the superblock. I don't want our boardwalk to look like the one in Atlantic City, but something has to be done with that land, or they should let nature take over and have it turn into a dune sea which would be nice as well.

I know nothing of any of the proposed plans for the bay side of the city.

I would also be in favor of a nice marina if the placement was right. I think the reconstruction that was done thus far was done very nicely, but I'll confess to marina-envy every time I pass by Point Lookout, or when I reflect back on my time spent in Fire Island.

Again, it would need to be done right.

Re: Boardwalk - once the doors are open wide to welcome outside developers, anything can happen. Just take a look at what Trump has done in New Rochelle, and at the pricing of the new Condos being built. It's only a matter of time before bigger and bigger money is drawn in here and then begins the demise.

A nice park would be great. It's probably never going to happen. Money speaks louder than anything else - particularly during current times.

mrk

I would do anything to keep trump away from Long Beach. He is going to ruin Jones Beach as far as I know.

I'm trying to find more info out on the bay area. Nothing new since 2007. I might just do a post on my blog with links to all the articles that I found.

Well, Trump seems drawn to waterfront areas, so it may be only a matter of time before we fall on his radar. Yes, he's going to ruin Jones Beach, which will likely have negative consequences for Long Beach. Have you driven along the West Side Highway in the vicinity of the Upper West Side recently? There is one monalithic Trump building after another, after another after another. And they're not done building. It is truly out of control.

Once there is no more land available in Long Beach, my concern is that we may see a similar evolution. How do you get more people into a popular location? You knock down the shorter buildings and build taller ones.

mrk

They should turn it into a parking lot for the beach

That's another option. The city can turn it into a paid parking lot and make a ton of money. Throw some planters/curbs in the lot and we would have more green by the beach. I'm going to write a bit about this and other options in a future post on my blog.