Long Beach : Jergins Owners Obtain Permit to Raze Building

A demolition permit has been obtained by owners of the historic Jergins Trust building in downtown Long Beach, and the manager says the razing should begin within four months.

A $45-million, 20-story hotel with 460 rooms is planned for the site at Ocean Boulevard and Pine Avenue. Thomas Welch, project manager for Perini Land and Development Co., said construction is planned to start in December, 1985, or January, 1986.

Preservationists had successfully blocked the demolition permit for a year, but all legal delays under city procedures have been exhausted. Now those who have been working to find a way to restore the Jergins Trust are becoming disheartened.

“It looked more promising a month ago than it does now,” said Marv Haney, a director of the Partnership for the Pacific Coast, a preservation organization.

“There are a limited number of architecturally significant buildings that have historic significance. This one is kind of a test case,” Haney said. “If we lose this one, we’ve lost a substantial part of the past.”

He added, “We haven’t given up,” and said that his group is still trying to help a Los Angeles developer complete financing arrangements to buy and refurbish the decaying 10-story building, which includes a theater and an underground tiled arcade.