Nike and Forever 21 are scheduled to open later this year. Today's media event also highlighted a rebranding of the development as the "Outlets at the Pike" [a matter reported by LBREPORT.com in May 2013.]

H&M (a clothing retailer) and Restoration Hardware previously announced plans to locate at the "Outlets at the Pike." Forever 21 will be a "full-line" location. A movie theater will remain as well as current restaurants.

In a mass emailing today (Mar 4, 2015), Mayor Robert Garcia stated in part:

In another sign of progress and a strong economic future for our city, today we unveiled two new major retail tenants opening in Long Beach: Nike and Forever 21. Along with H&M clothing and Restoration Hardware, these tenants are going to anchor the new Pike Development in Downtown Long Beach. The 65 million dollars of private investment and the addition of 45,000 square feet of space will attract tourists, visitors and residents, and increase tax revenue to the city. It will also attract more retailers and new investment in Long Beach.

The Pike has always had the potential to be an outstanding center for shopping and entertainment, but never got off the ground. While the movie theater and many of the restaurants succeeded, store fronts remained empty and there was little interest from retailers to open in the center. These new national brands, which have never operated in Long Beach before, are a perfect fit for our growing city...

[Scroll down for further]

Image via DDR

Image via DDR

Image via DDR

Long Beach city officials originally told the public that the development -- on some of the most valuable shoreline property in the state -- would become a destination level attraction [artist renderings and photos of opening press event below.] A number of residents predicted it would become a "shopping center by the sea" while various downtown interests, civic boosters and some media outlets portrayed critics as "naysayers."

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

The description of the project originally approved by the Coastal Commission on Feb. 3, 1999 was "Construction of a 508,550 sq. ft. commercial retail and entertainment complex on the waterfront." The Coastal Commission permit amendment -- its 17th since its original permit in 1999 -- now says: "Redevelopment of The Pike at Rainbow Harbor commercial retail and entertainment complex into a retail store outlet center..."

Regardless of how one feels about the outcome, history has arguably proven correct what critics predicted: Long Beach City Hall officials would allow some of the most valuable shoreline property in the state to become in effect a "shopping center by the sea."

Advertisement

Advertisement

A number of residents objected to putting retail uses on the shoreline adjacent property. Since the retail component of the original development included some uses prohibited under state Tidelands restrictions, City Hall tried to enable a "swap" that removed Tidelands restrictions on large footprints in the shoreline development area in exchange for accepting Tidelands restrictions on non-Tidelands areas [mainly non-developable property] along the L.A. river and a freeway median a mile or so away.

Long Beach city officials jetted to Sacramento to seek State Lands Commission support for the transaction...while local residents caravaned by car to the state capital to testify against it. When the State Lands Commission approved the transaction, veteran coastal protection advocate Don May filed a lawsuit...and a CA Court of Appeal agreed with Mr. May (April 2005) that the State Lands Commission couldn't properly do what it did.

City Hall then sought and obtained state legislation (SB 365) that undercut Mr. May's court victory and gave the State Lands Commission the ability to approve land swaps of the type opposed by CA Earth Corps. It passed with the "yes" votes of then LB-area state Senator Alan Lowenthal (D., LB-SP-PV) and Assemblymembers Betty Karnette (D., LB), Jenny Oropeza (D., LB-Carson).

To accept State Lands Commission approval for removing tidelands development protections from the shoreline area development site, the City of Long Beach had to acknowledge -- by voted action of its City Council -- that under the City of LB's stewardship, the downtown tidelands project area had become [verbiage of CA Pub. Resources Code section 6307] "no longer available or useful or susceptible of being used for navigation and fishing, are no longer in fact tidelands or submerged lands..." The vote came on June 21, 2013. It was 8-0 [Garcia absent for entire meeting.] The action removed Tidelands Trust protection from the "Queensway Bay" (now "Pike @ Rainbow Harbor") site and accepted Tidelands restrictions on park areas at Colorado Lagoon, Marine Stadium Channel and part of Bixby Park (frontage south of Ocean Blvd) [areas unlikely ever to be developed.]

Additional LBREPORT.com Amnesia File coverage follows below.

(May 14, 2002) -- Confetti flew, the Mayor [Beverly O'Neill] beamed and the City Manager and developer DDR's officials were all smiles at a gala kick-off ceremony for construction of the Pike at Rainbow Harbor today.

"I feel like pinching myself to know this is really happening today! I can't tell you how excited I am by this," an exuberant Mayor Beverly O'Neill told a crowd of invited city officials, business leaders and local media.

Invoking images and icons of LB's former Pike amusement area, developer DDR said in a written release:

"Like the Pike of old, the Pike at Rainbow Harbor will feature many cafes and public gathering places and become a vital element in the day-to-day life of Long Beach, drawing visitors from throughout the region."

The company release continued:

"The cinema will include state-of-the-art THX digital sound, automated projection, all stadium seating with high-backed chairs, gourmet concession areas and other amenities. Gameworks is a 40,000 square foot entertainment destination, the ultimate party place where guests can eat, drink, party and play. The new GameWorks at the Pike at Rainbow Harbor will feature a full service restaurant, with a fantastic menu and casual decor; a cool, high energy bar serving signature martinis and specialty cocktails, interactive games, and state-of-the-art bowling lanes."

"DDR has signed agreements with California Pizza Kitchen, Harry's Bar, National Sports Grill, Carnival Club, Mai Tai, Guaymas, Killer Shrimp, Prego, Gladstone's, Great Steak & Potato, Subway, Coldstone Creamery, Daphne's Greek Cafe, Islands Burgers and Quizno's."

In its written release, DDR indicated that opening is expected in 2003, and DDR's Rod Chisessi indicated from the podium that a 15 month construction period could put the opening in roughly September, 2003.

The event, which took place inside a tent on the NW corner of Pine Ave. and Shoreline Drive, included a ceremonial earth-turning and comments by LB officialdom and DDR representatives. We provide sights and transcript excerpts, below.

Mayor Beverly O'Neill

Mayor O'Neill: ...I've never seen so many sign offs, negotiations, committee meetings, public scrutiny, economic and theater and financing setbacks and the delays that came from legal setbacks. So this has gone on for a long time, but it's behind us! Isn't that exciting? [applause] And we can now look forward to developing the largest waterfront complex in southern California. It's really a defining moment for the city of Long Beach, because this is the final piece of the puzzle that was initiated ten years ago...And I can remember when I was first Mayor in 1994, [now retired City Manager] Jim Hankla and I would look out the window and say, see that parking lot out there? That's the most desirable piece of property in southern California. And it's going to have something on it that's going to make us all proud.

And finally, after I'll say 12 years of active planning, and probably 15-20 years of bringing things together, because people would say, why do we need all these hotels on Ocean Blvd.? Well, that's because the Convention Center wasn't finished. Now we need more hotels. So it takes a lot of time to put all this together. So no other community in southern California can offer the combination of venues that will be located here. And once the Pike at Rainbow Harbor is completed, Carnival Cruises will be here attracting thousands of people to the city. People will have an opportunity to visit this Pike, the Queen Mary, the Aquarium of the Pacific and many of our outstanding restaurants that we have right around here.

And we shouldn't forget the number of new residents that are coming. As you're standing here and you look up and see the Camden Project, the "Park at Harbour View,"...and look at the number of people that's going to add to the downtown area. They're going to be able to walk to the downtown, walk to the Pike, and all of the things that are going to be available.

So in addition to the sales tax, and the lease revenue that the city will be realizing, one of the major features of this is it's going to create hundreds of jobs...

So with the new developments going on from the downtown, and CityPlace under construction, that also is a DDR project, our community is going under a massive revitalization that will change our landscape really forever.

Long Beach will never be the city it was twenty years ago. But cities should not stand still. If they stand still, they fall behind and Long Beach is moving ahead like no other community in California."

City Manager Henry Taboada

City Manager Henry Taboada: Well good morning. Do you believe it? [shouts, yeah]. What a glorious day it is...

My task this morning is to thank all of the folks who have had so much to do with this project, and to share with you my joy, and my gratitude, for all that has happened and for all that is about to happen.

First to the Mayor. I couldn't thank the Mayor enough. She was there from the beginning and she has persevered along with staff, at every turn of this project, and has been steadfast in her support, and has never wavered...

I want to thank the City Council, both past and present...but this Council at every turn took courageous steps...and held firm in their belief that this was the right project...

Now people think that the financial aspect of this just comes together somehow magically behind the scenes and the construction is really all there is to it. But before there is a project there has to be financing, and I want to give my special thanks to a good colleague and friend of mine...Bob Torrez and his finance team...[applause]

Now City Managers, as Jim Hankla will tell you, are only as good the people they work for and with, and I work for and with a great management team consisting of all of my senior management staff...and all of my department heads who've persevered through this, and former staff like Bob Paternoster who along with [QW Bay project advisory committee member] Phil Infelise was instrumental in bringing this project to where it is today...

What can I say about DDR? Rod Chisessi. What a bulldog...There have been times when I wondered what this guy was made of. But he's held on, he's done his job, and...[this project]...is going to be profitable for DDR and for the city of Long Beach. Eric Mallory...Someone who had a vision about this project and...gave us courage to keep going with this project.

And I'd be remiss if I didn't give special thanks to just a small group of people. First of all, Dean Oliver here...On a piece of a napkin, basically, after a lunch we went out here and we designed the parking structure that's going to be the mainstay of this project and who taught me a lot and kept me focused on this project...[credits others not mentioned here]

Let me close by saying to that portly gentleman at 6th and Pine [Press-Telegram location, apparent reference to veteran columnist Tom Hennessy, currently losing weight] who reported as recently as two weeks ago that this project didn't pass the smell test. [light laughter] Get over it, Tom. It's time to smell the roses. [laughter] Thank you... [applause]

Randy Gordon from the LB Area Chamber of Commerce is interviewed by City Hall's Channel 21.