Over the past decade, the City of Long Beach has rebuilt its Civic Center from the ground up, replacing what was once a concrete-heavy complex with glass-clad towers, new park space, and a public library. Now, the city is looking to finalize its master plan for the property by adding residents to the mix.

On March 19, the Long Beach Planning Commission is slated to review modified plans to build apartments at 321 W. Ocean Boulevard. Mill Creek Residential Trust is seeking approvals for the construction of two eight-story buildings containing 729 studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments with 2,651 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and parking for 817 vehicles.

View from Lincoln ParkTCA Architects

As part of an agreement between the City and the developer, 73 of the new apartments - or 10 percent of the total density - are to be reserved for rent by moderate-income households.

TCA Architects is designing the two podium-type buildings, which would be separated by a landscaped paseo cutting east-to-west through the site. Plans show a pair of courtyards at the center of each building.

The project represents a significant uptick in the total amount of housing proposed for the site. Texas-based developer JPI, which previously led entitlements for the property, had sought to build 580 apartments with a ground-floor grocery store. The revised plan, in addition to increasing the amount of housing, also cuts the vast majority of the planned commercial space.

Site plan for 321 W. Ocean BoulevardLRM / TCA Architects

While JPI may have walked away from the Civic Center redevelopment, the company still remains involved in the Long Beach market. JPI broke ground earlier this year on a 272-unit apartment complex elsewhere in Downtown.

Mill Creek Residential Trust, the new developer, is also planning new apartments near the E Line in Santa Monica.

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