Construction to Begin on Shopping Center
Construction is scheduled to begin on Long Beach’s largest retail project--a $100-million shopping center whose prime location on former naval land once triggered criticism from neighboring cities.
New onramps and offramps from the nearby 605 Freeway remain to be built, but Phoenix-based Vestar Development Co. said it expects to break ground this month on the Long Beach Towne Center.
Large-scale tenants such as AutoNation and a 26-screen movie complex are preparing to move into more than 100 million square feet of retail space planned for the former Carson Street home of the Long Beach Naval Hospital.
Expected to generate 1,700 jobs and more than $7 million yearly in rent and sales tax revenues, the project had been attacked by Lakewood and other cities which, fearing for their own sales tax income, claimed that Long Beach did not properly publicize hearings on the hospital’s reuse.
But objections have quieted since Long Beach agreed in 1995 to provide traffic mitigation around the center, in addition to paying Lakewood whatever revenue it loses as a result of the center’s opening, scheduled for mid-1998.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
