Bits 'n' Pieces

New City Hall Frequently Asked Questions/Answers

When will the new City Hall open?

The new City Hall, located at 411 West Ocean Blvd., resumed regular hours (7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) on Tuesday, July 30.

Where will public services be available in the new building?

The City Hall first floor will support all cashier, City Clerk, and Citizen Police Complaint Commission (CPCC) business activities. The City Hall second floor will support all permitting needs and will house Development Services (Building and Safety, Code Enforcement and Planning), Health, Fire and Public Works groups.

How will public-serving operations change in the new building?

First and second-floor operations will both utilize a new queuing system to provide a more streamlined service experience

What changes are coming to the Civic Chambers?

Meetings in the new Bob Foster Civic Chambers will function similarly to meetings in the old City Hall. The public will enter through the main entrance of the City Hall building and proceed to security where they will pass through metal detectors before entering the Civic Chambers.

When will the Main Library open?

The Main Library Grand Opening event will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 21.

Once the Civic Center and Library are open, will construction be complete?

Construction will continue through 2022. After the Main Library is open, construction will begin on Lincoln Park, which is scheduled for completion in 2021. Private development in the old City Hall location will take place through 2022.

When will Lincoln Park re-open?

Demolition of the existing Main Library will begin in Fall 2019 with the construction of Lincoln Park to follow. The new Lincoln Park is estimated to be completed in 2021.

Why do we need a new Civic Center?

The current Civic Center, which includes City Hall and the Main Library, were deemed seismically unsafe. The new Civic Center will provide increased safety for both city employees and the community members who visit the Civic Center.

What is happening to Lincoln Park?

Planning for the revitalization of Lincoln Park’s 4.8 acres is underway now and is scheduled to reopen to the public in 2021.

What is happening to the property on which the current City Hall is located?

As part of the city’s innovative public-private partnership with Plenary-Edgemoor Civic Partners, the land where City Hall is currently located will be transferred for private development. Opportunities include mixed-use residential, retail and a hotel.

Innovative Effort to Solve Nation’s Drug Shortage

MemorialCare, a national leader in value-based care, is partnering with Civica Rx, the not-for-profit collaborative generic drug company, to drive down costs and increase supplies of life-saving medicines. MemorialCare includes Long Beach Medical Center, Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach, MemorialCare Medical Group as well as medical imaging, ambulatory surgery, urgent care, dialysis and physicians practices throughout the Greater Long Beach area.

MemorialCare joins other prominent health systems, including Mayo Clinic, to sign on with Civica. More than 900 U.S. hospitals and health systems have joined the venture, with many more expressing interest. Through a collaborative approach, the partnership is identifying production needs of in-demand drugs and developing high-quality FDA-approved medications at affordable prices within a robust supply chain.

“Civica’s new, highly-collaborative approach is needed to solve America’s drug shortage crisis,” says Barry Arbuckle, PhD, MemorialCare President & CEO. “MemorialCare’s long-time national leadership in delivering high-quality, accessible care and superb patient experience at a reduced cost has resulted in remarkable outcomes and benefits to local communities.”

MemorialCare continues to revolutionize healthcare with rapid movement to convenient, less costly and high-quality outpatient centers. The nonprofit health system offers more than 200 sites of care, in addition to four hospitals in Los Angeles and Orange counties. MemorialCare is uniquely positioned to provide consumers, employers and health plans high value healthcare in the right location, with the right services and at the right price, which aligns with the critically important mission of Civica.

“We are thrilled to welcome highly-regarded health systems like MemorialCare to Civica,” says Martin VanTrieste, President and CEO of Civica Rx. “Drug shortages have become a national crisis in which patient treatments and surgeries are canceled, delayed or suboptimal. We thank MemorialCare for joining us to make essential generic medicines accessible and affordable in hospitals across the country.”

Civica expects to bring 14 hospital-administered generic drugs to hospitals and healthcare systems in 2019 as the company’s initial efforts, with many additional medications prioritized by the healthcare systems as the next phase of focus.

Newly Imagined Long Beach Hotspot

Elevating the Long Beach scene to new heights, The Westin Long Beach at 333 E. Ocean Blvd. has officially revealed its $23 million renovation including the much-welcomed addition of a new dining concept, Navy Proof Food and Spirits.

Showcasing completely revitalized, modern guest rooms and a refreshed lobby space, the hotel’s design seamlessly reflects the vibrancy of its California coastline setting.

Delivering a unique culinary experience that highlights exquisite New-American fare, world-class bartender-driven beverage programming and a vivacious ambience, the hotel introduces Navy Proof Food and Spirits, led by acclaimed Executive Chef Chris Garasic.

The new dining space boasts everything from a dramatic three-story sculptural chandelier and a 32x30 ft., larger-than-life living green wall, to new furniture, white marble flooring and a reimagined color scheme for guests to take in.

The cuisine at Navy Proof Food and Spirits emphasizes technique and texture to highlight the versatility of seasonal ingredients and locally-sourced seafood and meat.

In addition to lunch and dinner service, breakfast service will be offered daily, in addition to a robust happy hour.

Debuting fall 2019, new to the property is the introduction of popular Bluestone Lane, an Australian-inspired coffee culture hub, café and lifestyle brand. Guests can indulge in a selection of premium coffee beverages and products as well as healthy food options during their visit to the energized new space.

Originally built in 1988, the iconic property houses 469 guest rooms and suites in total, each revitalized to feature layers of subtle texture with geometric accents over a calming palette of gray and gold with hints of sunset-inspired, pastel hues.

This tribute to California’s scenic coastline was achieved through the use of white marble floors, custom tree canopy rugs, white oak, rich tan leather, neutral paint tones, custom art and eye-catching brass lighting elements. A contemporary study of the sea floor topography connecting the coast of Long Beach to nearby Santa Catalina Island is also displayed offering an eclectic, intriguing design element for guests to enjoy.

Romali Delivers State of the College Address

More than 160 community members, business leaders and elected officials attended Long Beach Community College District Superintendent-President Dr. Reagan Ferragamo Romali’s State of the College address on July 18. In her keynote speech, Romali celebrated 2018-2019 academic and athletic accomplishments, as well as announcing two new centers that will serve the students at Long Beach City College starting in the fall.

“Because of the hard work of our students, as well as the tireless contributions of faculty and staff, we saw an increase of 30 percent in graduation compared to last year,” said Romali. “If you include certificates, we increased our total awards by 82 percent.”

Other highlights from the State of the College address:

The costs for this year’s State of the College event was significantly less than previous years. The savings will be used to open up two new centers. A Multi-Cultural Center will serve as a resource center for African American, LatinX, Asian Pacific Islander, LGBTQ+ and other students at LBCC. The Office of Basic Needs will assist students with housing, food insecurities and transportation. Both are expected to open in fall 2019.

Romali announced the revival of LBCC’s Trades programs. New and revised programs that will start this fall include construction technology, automotive technology, advanced transportation, engineering technology, welding and electrical.

Construction projects completed in the 2018-2019 academic year included the renovated English Building and Building D at the Liberal Arts Campus

Viking athletics saw another rewarding year, including a State Championship won by the Men’s Volleyball Team.

Marathon Celebrates 35 Years Running

The JetBlue Long Beach Marathon and Half Marathon will celebrate 35 Years Running with a fresh look inspired by California’s urban coast and three days of events on the weekend of Oct. 11-13.

More than just a weekend of running, the race welcomes athletes of all abilities, from those looking to test themselves at the marathon distance, to runners and walkers who are plenty happy enough to finish a half-marathon or run a 5k through an aquarium.

The Long Beach waterfront guarantees a flat, fast course, while the perfect seasonal conditions add to the probability of setting a new personal record. The 35th anniversary celebration will highlight 15 runners, each of whom have finished the marathon all 34 years.

Event week for the 2019 JetBlue Long Beach Marathon kicks off with a two-day Health & Fitness Expo at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, just steps from the city’s eclectic downtown restaurants, shops and tourist attractions. The expo is free and open to the public on Friday, Oct. 11 and continues into Saturday, Oct. 12.

All race participants will visit the expo to pick up their race bibs and browse over 100 exhibitors featuring free samples, the latest in running gear and sports apparel, as well as a series of interactive clinics.

The running gets started on Saturday morning, Oct. 12, when thousands of future marathoners ages 5 – 12 will take to the pavement at the Aquarium of the Pacific 1-Mile Kids Fun Run at 9 a.m. The kids race will be preceded by the Aquarium of the Pacific 5k at 7 a.m., as spectators are joined by Charlie the sea otter, Lou the turtle and even a group of seahorses lining the race route which runs through the largest aquarium in Southern California. New in 2019, participants may bundle their half marathon or marathon registration with the Aquarium of the Pacific 5k.

The main events take place on Sunday, Oct. 13 with the marathon and 20-mile Bike Tour starting at 6 a.m. along the iconic Shoreline Drive, which hugs the ocean and runs parallel to the beach. Participants can bundle the Bike Tour with the half marathon, 5k or both for an unforgettable endurance challenge during marathon weekend.

For more information on the 35th JetBlue Long Beach Marathon or to register for the event, visit RunLongBeach.com and follow @LBMarathon with the hashtag #RunLongBeach on social media.

Laulhere Children’s Village Groundbreaking Held

On July 24, MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach broke ground on an 80,000 sq. ft., four-story building named the Cherese Mari Laulhere Children’s Village. When complete in 2021, the Children’s Village will give patients and their families access to pediatric doctors in more than 36 specialties, including cardiology, oncology and more, as well as a range of services, such as a laboratory, pharmacy, imaging and rehabilitation gyms, all in one location.

To mark this momentous milestone for children’s health care in the region, Miller Children’s & Women’s was joined by Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris and Long Beach Vice Mayor Dee Andrews.

For many children, medical care doesn’t end when they leave the hospital. Patients will be seen at the Children’s Village for a variety of reasons – from a one-time consultation to follow-up care for a wide range of health conditions requiring specialized pediatric care.

“Each year, we treat 65,000 children in our outpatient specialty centers across the region,” says John Bishop, CEO, Miller Children’s & Women’s. “We anticipate that number to grow by about 20 percent in our first five years. As one of eight free-standing children’s hospitals in California it is our mission to fulfill the unique health care needs of the children in the communities we serve, and the Children’s Village will do exactly that.”

To realize the vision for the Children’s Village, in August 2018, the Miller Children’s & Women’s Foundation embarked on a $60 million philanthropic campaign to support the capital and programmatic needs of the project.

“We have been humbled by the early generosity and passion of our community for the Children’s Village,” says Sharon Thornton, president, Miller Children’s & Women’s Foundation. “In less than a year, I’m proud to share that we have raised more than $30 million in total commitments, putting us past the half-way mark toward our ambitious goal.”

A portion of the success can be attributed to a recent transformational gift from the Cherese Mari Laulhere Foundation to name the Children’s Village and provide program support.

“Each and every gift will allow us to move one step closer to providing a new level of care for our children who need it most,” says Thornton.

To learn more about opportunities to support this groundbreaking, state-of-the-art building and specialized care for thousands of children across the region, visit millerchildrens.org/Village.

Trash to Treasure – Kiewit Partners with Youth Center

When no one else would, The Youth Center stepped up to help Kiewit, one of North America’s largest construction and engineering organizations, to recycle over 1,500 bottles and cans weekly for a year from their Long Beach site.

While working for Southern California Edison (SCE) to bring their power plant located at Studebaker Road and Pacific Coast Highway up to today’s standards, Kiewit contacted many nonprofit organizations, seeking to recycle to meet their high environmental standards and to give back to the community. But unfortunately, no one wanted to do it for different reasons.

“The Y.C. Team” consisting of staff, board members, volunteers and kids was armed with aprons and gloves for the “dirty job” where they sorted, bagged and hauled a truck load weekly to the local recycling center. Kiewit provided a year’s worth of empty trash bags to make the project a bit easier.

When the time came for The Youth Center to hold its annual Golf Tournament, Kiewit management decided to make it a teambuilding event. Kiewit brought a team of 21 employees to the Youth Center’s annual Golf Tournament on July 15 at Old Ranch Country Club in Seal Beach. “I helped out with the recycling. It was not pretty,” said Youth Center Board Member and Golf Tournament Chairman Arnie Fine. “It made my day when Kiewit signed up for the tournament. Because of their support and commitment to our children, we were able to raise $20,000.”

The golf tournament was especially enjoyable for the participating Kiewit employees who liked being outdoors, having great food, contests and a silent auction.

In the end whether it’s by taking on a “dirty job” or teeing up, it’s truly all about the kids. When no one else wants to take on difficult projects, The Y.C. Team does because they see how much of a difference it makes. They work hard throughout the year to raise every penny to fund scholarships for their after school programs, summer camps, and elementary music program. The Youth Center never turns any child away for inability to pay.

Sign-ups are going on now for their After School Programs and Music Program. For more information and registration, please visit online at www.theyouthcenter.org. The Youth Center is a local nonprofit. It does not receive any state or federal funding and relies upon contributions from the local community and beyond.