In early 2016, retired LB Harbor Commissioner Alex Bellehumeur (1990-1996), owner of State-wide Developers, Inc. and (now in his 80s') a perennially spry developer and inventor, delivered a presentation on the aerial tram concept titled "The Wave" to the advisory (now former) Queen Mary Land Development Task Force.

LBREPORT.com notices that Muni-Fed Energy, Inc., a firm listing a SE LB address. now describes its "Project of the Month" on its website as follows:

Muni-Fed Energy is proud to Co-Develop The Wave project with Alex Bellehumeur in the great city of Long Beach. The Wave will be the next Iconic project aerial tram people mover in the city. connecting people from all over the Long Beach waterfront.

LBREPORT.com has also learned that Muni-Fed Energy's founder, company president/CEO Clay Sandidge, is the scheduled speaker at a September 14, 2018 breakfast meeting of LB's Commercial Real Estate Council. An online event description invites attendees to "Catch 'The Wave'" and displays an image of the Portland Aerial tram as an example of a cable-driven medium-to high-capacity transit system. .

Source: Image on event description

[Scroll down for further.]

The event description states:

[Event description text ] ...A proposed implementation of an aerial tram (or alternative solution) to connect the downtown to the waterfront has the potential to:

• Create and enhance vitality
• Demonstrate the City’s commitment to the area to promote CRE investment
• Provide additional transportation capacity for potential future CRE investment

Many urban areas have successfully implemented cable-driven medium- to high-capacity transit systems, including the Portland Aerial Tram (pictured), the Las Vegas CityCenter cable-driven people mover project and the Roosevelt Island gondolas in New York City. A similar system has also recently been studied for San Diego’s waterfront. Renewed interest in developing the waterfront and Queen Mary has highlighted the need for improved transit and urban design. The proposed tram project would be a catalyst for development and increased tourism, and as such, enjoys the support of the business community in Long Beach, particularly among property owners within the study area. In addition, the Downtown Business Association and the Chamber of Commerce have demonstrated their consistent support.

Both residents and tourists alike will be newly drawn to the study area, providing an estimated 500,000 annual trips induced by the tram. These additional trips can be broken down into three types: 1) resident work trips; 2) non-work trips for shopping, personal business and recreation; and 3) tourist and visitor trips. Such demand can easily be served by a tram system. Tram capacity ranges from 600-5,000 passengers per hour per direction - roughly equivalent to the capacity of a 2-lane highway.

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The possibility of an aerial tram was discussed in conceptual terms during the term of the Queen Mary's now-former leaseholder "Save the Queen" but stalled with that firm's default/bankruptcy.

In his February 2016 presentation to the Queen Mary Land Development Task Force, Mr. Bellehumeur offered Power Point slides indicating the potential involvement of Doppelmayr (a leading manufacturer of cable cars, ropeways, ski lifts and the like) that described "The Wave" as an aerial tram connection from areas such as the Convention Center to the Queen Mary. One of the PPT slides stated that "although Project Feasibility does not depend on the new development of the Queen Mary site, it will provide the developer of the acreage a transportation system that will serve up to 4500 visitors per hour, with no bottlenecks, and assist in their raising capital privately, institutionally, and through State and Federal grants."

Developing. Further to follow on LBREPORT.com.

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