Mill Creek Plots Long Beach Civic Center Housing

The transformation of downtown Long Beach’s Ocean Boulevard corridor is poised to continue with a new development from Mill Creek Residential Trust.

On Thursday, the Long Beach Planning Commission will review plans from Mill Creek that call for building more than 700 apartments at 321 West Ocean Boulevard, Urbanize Los Angeles reported. The location is part of Long Beach’s Civic Center, which has undergone a makeover in the past decade that has added new glass towers, park space and a public library to the heart of the seaside city.

Rendering of plans for 321 W. Ocean Boulevard (TCA Architects)

Mill Creek Residential Trust is looking to secure approvals for the construction of two eight-story buildings containing 729 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments above 2,651 square feet of ground-floor retail and parking for 817 vehicles. The City of Long Beach and the developer have agreed that Mill Creek would designate 73 units, or 10 percent of the total residences, for rent by moderate-income households, defined in Los Angeles County as individuals making a maximum of $89,550 annually.

Rendering of site plan for 321 W. Ocean Boulevard (TCA Architects)

While the 321 West Ocean Boulevard site has been proposed for housing before, past proposals haven’t called for as much density. Texas-based developer JPI, which led entitlements for the property before Mill Creek, sought to build 580 apartments with a grocery store on the ground floor. Mill Creek’s plans cut down on commercial space floated for the site. JPI has walked away from the development but is still active in Long Beach, breaking ground earlier this year on Portico, a new 272-unit apartment complex on the site of the defunct City Place mall.

West Ocean Boulevard is poised to receive new housing besides Mill Creek’s plans for Long Beach Civic Center. Last month, developer Izek Shomof filed an application with the Long Beach Planning Bureau to convert a 24-story office tower at 111 West Ocean Boulevard into housing. Shomof, who purchased the building last fall for $50 million, is looking to turn the existing 480,000-square-foot building into 391 residential units.

— Chris Malone Méndez