Long Beach : Business Group to Reveal Plan for Latino Market

After nearly three years of study, the Latino Entrepreneurial Assn. will unveil its plan for a Latino marketplace at its monthly meeting today.

Association member Luis Pinel said the presentation will include a slide show, site plans and architectural drawings of the mercado , which he said would include something for everybody. Initial plans call for about a dozen restaurants, mariachis and shops with a flavor from “here to South America” that would cater to tourists and residents, Pinel said.

Recently, the city Redevelopment Agency authorized a $75,000 study to determine whether such a mercado would be successful in Long Beach. About 25% of the city’s population is Latino, and community merchants have long discussed the need for such a market.

The meeting will be at 6 p.m. in the downtown Hilton Hotel, International Room 3.