Long Beach : 35-Story Condo Approved, to Be Tallest in Downtown

A 35-story downtown condominium project that would be the tallest building in Long Beach has been approved by the City Council.

Because the proposed 425-foot building at Ocean Boulevard and Pine Avenue exceeds the state’s 250-foot height limit for that part of downtown, the Coastal Commission must still approve the proposed high-rise. It would go up on the site of the demolished Jergins Trust Building.

About half a dozen residents spoke out against the project at the council meeting, airing complaints ranging from environmental concerns to outrage that the new building would block the views of existing offices.

Council members praised the $100-million project, citing its sophisticated design and its potential to help revive downtown by providing housing for wealthy residents. The building will be an “upscale, self-contained community” with condominiums, shops, an art gallery, parking and security guards, Councilman Douglas Drummond said.

Prices for the 250 condominium units will begin at about $200,000, with the penthouse priced at about $1.5 million, said project developer C.C. Mow, chairman of Century West Development Inc. Mow said the building could be completed in two years if the Coastal Commission approves the project quickly.