Long Beach : Pine Ave. Complaints Heard

The Long Beach Redevelopment Agency board vowed to address concerns of downtown merchants who complained this week that Pine Avenue is too poorly promoted, policed, lighted and lacks adequate parking to foster a thriving night life. Also, they said, the street lacks movie theaters, the kind of strong drawing card that would lure shoppers on a regular basis.

“We really need to bring people downtown and we’re not doing that,” lamented Sam King, owner of the Pine Avenue Grill.

After listening to the concerns, the board decided to present its ideas about promotion at an Oct. 10 meeting.

While he has been publicly silent for months on plans for developing a downtown theater complex, Community Development Director Roger Anderman said he will explain a theater plan and discuss the parking problem at a meeting Oct. 24.

Merchants agreed that the Redevelopment Agency lures business to the area, but without promotion there are not enough new customers to support the fledgling enterprises.

Lou Moreno, owner of the Off-Broadway nightclub on the Promenade, said the agency needs to try to find more free parking. “This parking situation is still very obscene. Nothing has been done,” Moreno said. “All we’ve been hearing about are transportation studies. . . . You have to give us some timetables.”