Plenty of Good News and Announcements
Come at the State of the Second District

Vice Mayor Lowenthal gave residents several reasons to cheer at her State of the Second District event last Tuesday, when she announced the following:
  • Bixby Park's new and improved playground, "Camp Bixby", will be completed by July 2015. The playground theme and design came from parents and residents.
  • Bixby Park's new fitness loop featuring exercise stations for all types of users will be completed by July 2015.
  • A new stand alone bathroom facility at Bixby Park will be completed by October 2015.  Located on the south side of the community center, the bathroom's design will match the band shell architecture.
  • Storm drain improvements are being completed on Third Street at Cerritos, Orange, Hermosa and Cherry avenues, ending years of street flooding and inconvenience for residents.
  • The beach pedestrian path spanning 3.1 miles of our namesake beach will be finished by May 2015.
  • Orange and Cherry avenues are being repaved and given new sidewalks and ADA ramps as well.
  • Bixby Park will become only the second park in Long Beach  (Lincoln Park was first) to get new LED lights installed throughout the park, making it safer and more inviting for residents.  Installation will be completed by May 2015.
  • Broadway, 4th and 7th Street Visioning studies have finished the community feedback portion and will be finished by late April, early May 2015.
  • Support for Promenade Area Residents Association's efforts to build a new playground at Promenade Square Park to keep young families in Downtown.
  • Support for Ocean Residents Community Association's efforts to build a dog park at Seaside Way, in partnership with convention center management and DLBA.
  • Development of a Downtown Shoreline Fitness Loop stretching along the south side of Ocean Blvd down to Shoreline Village and over to the lighthouse for residents and tourists.
  • Planting of more than 50 trees along Broadway in partnership with On Broadway business association and Alamitos Beach Neighborhood Association. 
  • Construction of a new pedestrian bridge between the Terrace Theater and Convention Center to connect two major convention and trade show venues, improving our competitiveness with other cities.
  • Introduction of legislation calling for the activation of the empty corner at Pine Avenue and Ocean Blvd with pop-up retail or other activity, serving as a transition focal point for conventioneers heading north and tourists heading south on Pine.
  • Introduction of legislation calling for updated planning guidelines for connections, public space and development in the Downtown shoreline area.
  • Plans to move forward with the Art Exchange and adaptively reuse the Acres of Books site, so that we can close the divide between East Village and the Downtown core. 

More than 200 residents and business owners turned out for the 8th Annual State of the Second District featuring Beachwood BBQ locally brewed beer and cold-pressed juice from Salud, District 2 vendors from MADE, music from Bearcoon and members of Riot Stage, students from Burbank Elementary School and nearby restaurants hosting attendees after the event.  Special thanks to the Loft on Pine, DLBA, CVB, District Wine and John Edmonds for their support.  Video of the speech and the Second District Report featuring achievements and activities from neighborhood and business associations in 2014 will be put up on the District 2 website.