City officials have unanimously approved a plan to renovate the historic Breakers hotel in Long Beach, adding to the flurry of development projects in the region.
The Long Beach City Council signed off on the project Tuesday after labor union advocates and a local resident appealed a previous approval from the Planning Commission, the Long Beach Post reported.
Pacific6, which also owns the Long Beach Post, is behind the project to convert 223 existing units, formerly used as senior citizen living spaces, into a functioning 185-room hotel. They plan to spend between $40 million and $60 million renovating the landmark, the Long Beach Press-Telegram previously reported.
Once completed next year, the 14-story building will feature a jazz club, rooftop bar, swimming pool, among other amenities.
Residents opposed to the project cited concerns about losing some of the public space in Victory Park, as well as the environmental impact from added noise and traffic.
John Molina, one of the six partners at Pacific6, said the city will not lose any public space. And the park will be redesigned with drought-tolerant landscaping and drinking fountains.
Built in 1926, the Breakers was once a private luxury resort frequented by Hollywood icons like Clark Gable and Rita Hayworth. Conrad Hilton owned the hotel from 1938 to 1946. It has sat vacant since 2015, when a number of complaints forced the senior living facility existing at the hotel to shutter.
The project joins a growing list of projects slated for the area, including a 157-unit residential project that Anastasi Development Company is proposing. The city is also throwing its support behind a 700-unit mixed-use tower that will rise between 40 and 43 stories. [LBP] — Natalie Hoberman