Urban Commons announces plans for Queen Mary makeover

Ahoy, matey! The Queen Mary is ready to harbor in some new plans.

Urban Commons, an L.A.-based investment firm, revealed Tuesday in a press release that it will assume a 66-year master lease for the landmark. It will remodel the Queen Mary, which has been docked in Long Beach for half a century, “to her glory days,” and will also develop 45 acres of surrounding land into a retail, dining and entertainment district.

The project is slated for completion in mid-2017, and the ship will remain fully open to visitors during the renovation process.

The Long Beach City Council voted to approve Urban Commons’ takeover of the ship late last year. It was earlier controlled by Garrison Investment Group.

The Queen Mary won’t be the only shiny new thing in Long Beach. Earlier this year, P&O Properties shelled out $5.2 million for a 27,200-square-foot space that would allow for multiples uses. And the Aquarium of the Pacific announced last month expansion plans of a new 29,000-square-foot wing, according to Curbed. — Cathaleen Chen