Plans for $40-Million Theater Complex OKd

After years of planning, the Long Beach City Council Tuesday approved construction of a $40-million theater complex that city officials hope will help rejuvenate the city’s struggling downtown area.

The Janss/AMC project will include a 16-screen theater as well as trendy stores and restaurants and about 140 upscale apartments. Construction of the block-long complex is expected to begin in January and end in 1992.

Janss Corp., a Santa Monica-based developer, has done similar projects in Santa Monica, Pasadena, and Boise, Idaho. Developers and city planners say that such public-private partnerships offer the best hope for reviving urban areas.