Amnesia File: How LB's CD6 Could Have Had A Major Community Center w/ Athletic Amenities Incl. Pools -- But Only Got A Running Track + Soccer Fields (Now Named For Dee Andrews)
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>(November 21, 2021) -- On Nov. 20, 2021 local officials held an event to name the Chittick Field sports complex (PCH/Walnut) for longtime (2007-2020) CD6 Councilman Dee Andrews.
LBREPORT.com opens our Amnesia File below to recall that the very same location could have become what may have been one of the biggest development project in the history of Central Long Beach: a $100+ million Kroc Center that included a community center and multiple athletic amenities including pools.
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Image from Councilmembers' agendizing memo
But it didn't happen, primarily because then-LB City Hall officials -- including then-Councilman Andrews -- didn't insist that CD 6 receive City-budgeted respect, not just charity.
In January 2006. the Salvation Army entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City of Long Beach to develop a roughly 19 acre Kroc Center about a block north of PCH at Walnut Avenue. An initial $15-$18 million sum from Long Beach would have triggered a pledge by the Salvation Army to build a $100+ million Kroc Center basically at the Salvation Army's cost. Multiple cities across the country now have Kroc Centers for their residents that were built in this way.
But LB City Councils under Mayors Beverly O'Neill and Bob Foster declined to budget that trigger sum and left raising $15-$18 million to private fundraising. A committee with prominent names surfaced. It urged private contributions. But four years later (and despite 11th hour City Hall scrambling), the Salvation Army simply withdrew its offer to build the facility for Long Beach.
Here's what Central LB could have had at Chittick Field. Text and photos below from April 20, 2010 Council item agendized by Councilmembers Andrews and Gabelich.
[Scroll down for further.]
The Long Beach Kroc Center will contain an auditorium with flexible multi purpose rooms including a computer lab and room for music instruction. It will also contain extensive classroom space, a state-of-the-art Olympic-level aquatics center with multiple pools; a gymnasium complex, elevated jogging track, and a weight and fitness area.
On Kroc Center grounds there will be multi-purpose fields that will provide ample space for outdoor activities and sports. This will include fields for sports leagues (soccer, football, baseball) as well as passive activities including picnics, outdoor
reading, events and cultural festivals
The Long Beach Kroc Center will contain state-of-the-art educational components that will focus on the arts such as music and drama. There will be dedicated space for homework centers.
The Long Beach Kroc Center also has established mutually beneficial partnerships with the Long Beach Unified School District, Long Beach City College, and California State University. These partnerships will incorporate the best curriculum and teachers/professors of the educational partners with world-class facilities of the Long Beach Kroc Center.
The strong alliance with Long Beach City College will be enhanced by the location of the main entrance of LBCC’s Pacific Campus and the Kroc Center. This location, a few hundred yards north of PCH, will align with the east entrance to the Campus. The linkage will be further strengthened by the design of the crosswalk and entryways to the east and west of Walnut.
Here is a list of other features that will be included within the Kroc Center.
450-seat Performing Arts Center
30 Classrooms
Drop-in Day Care
Toddler Play Area
Art Studios
Lecture Halls
Kitchen
Library
Four Indoor Basketball Courts
Outdoor Walking Paths
1,000-seat Outdoor Amphitheater...
The Long Beach Kroc Center project is a $120M+ project with nearly $100M
already allocated to the project from Kroc Center funds and Salvation Army
reserves...
...Long Beach Kroc Center wants people of all means to be able to use the center and will have membership discounts and scholarships available for low-income residents.
Sponsor
The April 2010 Council item agendized by Councilmembers Andrews and Gabelich, joined by then-Councilman Robert Garcia, urged city management to create a "Red Team" to "utilize all departments necessary" to (1) create a public awareness campaign on the value of having the Kroc Center in our city; (2) expedite resolution of remaining issues regarding the land transfer and lease property (indicating the land transfer/developer agreement needs to be in place no later than Sept. 2010) and (3) to "help find solutions and support to reach the fundraising threshold of the $18 million needed trigger the funding of the Center."
Sponsor
Salvation Army officials weren't impressed; they terminated their offer to build the Kroc Center for Long Beach.
Sponsor
Sponsor
Four years later in April 2014, the City opened at the site a "Chittick Field sports complex." It has a football field, an all-weather track and other track and field facilities, three soccer fields, restrooms, bleacher areas, sports lighting, landscaping and parking.
It cost $9.9 million from the Los Angeles County Park and Open Space District, City of Long Beach Infrastructure funds, Open Space Bonds and a donation from Occidental Petroleum Corporation ($1 million).
On Nov. 20, 2021, with now Mayor Garcia present, a sign was unfurled renaming the site for now-former Councilman Andrews.
Support really independent news in Long Beach. No one in LBREPORT.com's ownership, reporting or editorial decision-making has ties to development interests, advocacy groups or other special interests; or is seeking or receiving benefits of City development-related decisions; or holds a City Hall appointive position; or has contributed sums to political campaigns for Long Beach incumbents or challengers. LBREPORT.com isn't part of an out of town corporate cluster and no one its ownership, editorial or publishing decisionmaking has been part of the governing board of any City government body or other entity on whose policies we report. LBREPORT.com is reader and advertiser supported. You can help keep really independent news in LB similar to the way people support NPR and PBS stations. We're not non-profit so it's not tax deductible but $49.95 (less than an annual dollar a week) helps keep us online.
