Michelle Molina Shares Info on Plans for 6th/Pine: Office Uses, Envisions Hundreds of Jobs Using Meeker-Baker + Former PressTelegram Bldgs.

Ms. Molina says that if its current negotiations are successful (which she said she hopes will occur within the next two weeks), the offices will ultimately be occupied by a tenant that will provide hundreds of jobs, help revitalize upper Pine Ave. and bring significant economic benefits to the City of Long Beach. [A city staff report accompanying the May 1 City Council agenda item indicated that 6th & Pine Development LLC is considering a lease with a health care provider.]

Ms. Molina described the plans and provided a number of details not presented to the public in a May 1 city staff agendized item. Councilmembers didn't discuss or pursue details of the project publicly before their vote (8-0) to approve a city management-negotiated lease of 500 city owned parking spaces (elsewhere in the city) to 6th & Pine Development, LLC for employees envisioned at the 6th/Pine location.

On May 2, LBReport.com requested an opportunity to speak with Ms. Molina. A telephone appointment was set for May 3 and Ms. Molina called and fielded questions via cellphone.

Ms. Molina told LBReport.com [summarized unless direct quotes]:

• 6th & Pine Development, LLC owns the square block between 6th-7th Sts/Pine-Locust Aves. It is in lease negotiations with a single office tenant to do a build to suit that will use both the Press Telegram and the smaller Meeker-Baker building. It hopes to have a lease negotiated in the next two weeks at which time the tenant will be publicly identified. [Millworks Capital, also comprised of John and Michelle Molina, was previously part of/an investor in the Press Telegram property.]

• The build-to-suit will basically consist of two office buildings with a type of center courtyard. The first office building will be the Press Telegram building and is planned to be ready in the first quarter of 2013. The second building will follow 18 months thereafter.

• 6th & Pine Development, LLC will be the landlord for an office tenant that is going to lease property. Ms. Molina said she's not at liberty to disclose the specific tenant. [A city staff report accompanying the May 1 City Council agenda item indicates 6th & Pine Development LLC is considering a lease with a health care provider.]

• Regarding employee parking spaces (May 1 Council agenda item which approved (8-0) leasing spaces in city owned lots to 6th/Pine Development, LLC for 6th/Pine employee use), Ms. Molina said the original intent is that employees would park in remote parking lots within walking distances, which would allow them to walk to work past local businesses where they can shop and dine and be part of the neighborhood...and for the remote lots that aren't within parking distances, the client (tenant) will provide shuttle transportation.

  [summarized Q & A] Q: Would that include a shuttle from the parking lot at the Pike? A: I think that they would have a shuttle available; the Pike is pretty far. It's a matter the tenant can decide. Ms. Molina said the city leased the parking spaces at a market rate, not getting them for free or at any special rate; it's market rate parking in the downtown.

• [summarized Q & A unless direct quote] Q: Why shouldn't the owner of the property (6th and Pine Development, LLC) have to build a parking structure on the site to accommodate the use it proposes? A: The Meeker-Baker building is new construction and under the new downtown plan requires 200 parking spaces; the eastern side of that property is a parking lot now, and it will striped and will be a parking lot and will provide 215 parking spots [exceeding requirement]. "We are providing on-site parking for our permit requirements for the Meeker-Baker [building] and that fits in with the Downtown Plan." The Press Telegram building is grandfathered in. It doesn't require additional parking under city permitting. It's simply a tenant improvement, not new construction. It's not a special break [for this project]; it's city permitting. [Ms. Molina direct quote]: "There's nothing mysterious...It's a really great public-private partnership. It brings in general fund revenue for the city. This is a good thing. We should be celebrating this."

• Q: What's coming to the Planning Commission on May 24? A: [paraphrased answer] The historic nature of the Meeker-Baker building requires that it go through a modification of the EIR for that property. There is already a set of entitlements that in 2007 (when this was going to be a loft project) and the second building, because it has a large part of new construction, requires it to go through the public process of having the site plan reviewed and historic preservation pieces reviewed and we're bringing that to the Planning Commission on May 24. We've already met with the Cultural Heritage Commission and received feedback from them and we are meeting with the city on our plans. Hopefully we can come up with a design that makes everybody happy and meets the expectations laid out in the first set of entitlements.

Q: Are there other things people ought to know about all of this?

A: Ms. Molina [direct quote] "This is a pro-Long Beach development. We are going to bring 800-1,000 jobs to 6th and Pine. An economic study done by Cal State Long Beach showed this will bring $2 billion in community revenue to Long Beach. This is a good thing...There's nothing mysterious...no special deals made. We need jobs. We need revenue for our city and this is a good thing..."