July 29, 2022
Mary Torres is the new Real Estate Development Bureau Manager in the Economic Development Department. 

Ms. Torres will report to the Director and have responsibility for managing the City’s real estate portfolio, including leasing, acquisition, and disposition of City assets as well as special projects.
 
Mary has worked for the City of Long Beach for over 20 years, most recently as a Property
Services Officer in the Economic Development Department, where she was responsible for oversight of the Property Services team handling City acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, and property management. Mary has been an integral part of special projects such as Community Hospital, relocation of Fire Station 9, and the preparation and subsequent implementation of the City’s Long Range Property Management Plan outlining the disposition of all former redevelopment agency property. Mary’s extensive real estate experience also includes acquiring property for parks, street improvements, and the Michelle Obama Library.
 
During her time at the City, she has worked in the City Manager’s Office as part of the Management Assistant Program, the former Department of Community Development in the Property Services Bureau, and in the Department of Public Works in the Asset Management Bureau. She received her Bachelor of Arts from San Jose State University and her Master of Public Administration from Wichita State University. Mary received her Senior Right-of-Way Agent (SR/WA) certification from the International Right-of-Way Association in 2017.
 
Please join us in congratulating Ms. Torres on her new position.
Breakers Hotel to open next year as a Fairmont property

The long-awaited opening of the Breakers Hotel is slated for next fall—and the property now has a new operator behind the effort.

Officials announced Wednesday evening, July 27, that Fairmont Hotels and Resorts is adding the building to its portfolio in partnership with the property’s owner, Pacific6 Enterprises. The hotel’s official name is now Fairmont The Breakers, Long Beach.

The property is still in the midst of an extensive renovation process to prepare the building—which was last occupied by an assisted living facility from 1991 to 2015—to host guests.

Most of the 185 units offered will be king-sized rooms, but there will also be 26 suites for guests.

Several existing features from the original concept, like the Sky Room and the rooftop bar, have been renovated, while other amenities, including a pool and a new ground-floor Italian restaurant, have been added to enhance the experience for both guests and locals. A ground-floor spa with treatment rooms will also be open to the general public and offer membership to about 300 interested patrons.

Designated as a historic landmark in 1989, changes made to the building as part of the renovation process needed to be approved by the Long Beach Cultural Heritage Commission. While some changes—like the addition of an elevator on the exterior of the building—were necessary for the building to function, the building’s owners have tried to preserve as many historical elements as possible.

The historic building joins the recently reimagined Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles and the coastal Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica. The construction process is beginning to wind down, according to Alesiani, with work on the building’s infrastructure, including drywall, electricity and plumbing, remaining. Model rooms are expected to be ready by the end of this year, and the opening of the hotel itself is expected in October 2023.