I’ve always touted a specific characteristic of mine: my persistent do-more-talk-less attitude. I respect doers— and not only is that the reason I became so attached to the Downtown Long Beach Associates’ (DLBA) Board but also how I came to be its chair.
A community isn’t built just because one puts a stake in it. I’ve had a vested interest in DTLB [downtown Long Beach] for many years, most recently having purchased the building at 350 Pine in the belief that it can be a regional and national venue, truly representative of DTLB’s worth. But direct investment isn’t the sole cog that will make the machinery of a successful destination run smoothly, efficiently and communally. It is about taking some form of a lead.
It can be going beyond being a business owner, like our Public Safety Committee chair and Groundworks Fitness owner Gio Ferraro does continuously. She posts video vignettes that highlight other local businesses because she understands that a conglomerate of businesses doing well together will create a vibrant DTLB while solely focusing on her self will be less fruitful.
It can be going beyond our day-to-day jobs, like the DLBA’s Community Outreach manager Steve Be Cotte does continuously. He focuses his efforts on being involved in homeless advocacy groups like Back on My Feet or Beacon for Him because he knows that partaking in third-party organizations are key factors in creating an authentic community.
It just has to be going beyond and that is something I feel the DLBA has done and continues to do.
Surely, DTLB has moved forward in a way that has often been called a renaissance: the culinary revolution that is making the Downtown the grub hub of our city, the craft beer and cocktail surge that is prompting bars to take notice, the creative forces, including the DLBA’s Special Events Manager Gina Dartt and Placemaking Manager Sean Warner, that are using the Downtown’s layout to create truly unique events and activated spaces, the Pike has finally found an identity for itself with its outlets.
While this renaissance is happening— it’s not just a thought anymore— the challenges we face are still very real and very tangible. From activating storefronts to connecting the waterfront, DTLB is not without its uphill climbs looking forward, and the DLBA has led the charge in acknowledging those problems as much as it has proudly advertised its successes.
This is what makes the DLBA such a pertinent organization.
We still have a large disconnect between the waterfront and everything north of Ocean— which is why the DLBA commissioned a study and now are looking for contractors to activate Pine and Ocean. We have much work to do in terms of development, including advocating for proper activation of the former RDA properties, and maintaining a business-friendly culture that caters to business owners rather than turning them away, which is why the DLBA’s Economic Development Department, headed by Adam Carrillo, has led the charge in support of showing off properties and why they are inviting the business community to pertinent discussions, including those about development, infrastructure and minimum-wage increases. We have to make our streets safer and more accessible, which is why the DLBA received a record number of applications for its Placemaking Grants. We have to assure that our reputation, as both a destination and organization, is not misconceived or ill-grounded, which is why the DLBA has altered the image of our Downtown through social media and media outreach, hitting record numbers thanks to the work of its Communication Manager Brian Addison.
We have work to do, DTLB— and I couldn’t be more thrilled to begin on it with the DLBA.
