Editorial Assistant
Business owners and Bixby Knolls residents had plenty to be happy about Wednesday night, when the Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association (BKBIA) hosted its annual State of the District.
As attendees frequented the food and drink selections during the presentation inside the Expo Arts Center on Feb. 22, Blair Cohn, executive director of the BKBIA, highlighted the association’s multiple introductions of new businesses in 2016 and early 2017, a time span that he calls “a year of fruition.”
“We saw a lot of [the fruit of our labors] come to be,” he said. “We saw some projects that were kind of in a flux finish, we got more community buy-in, and we’re seeing more of an energy increase.”
Lola’s Mexican Cuisine and Aldi grocery store make up the 130 new businesses that have opened up in Bixby Knolls in the past year, Cohn said.
Other successes include the opening of the much anticipated Steelcraft food lot on Long Beach Boulevard and the relocation of the Bixby Knolls post office and Trader Joe’s.
He said that it’s more than just new businesses— the BKBIA’s emphasis on safety and security for those institutions and general infrastructure improvements all contribute to that idea of fruition he had mentioned.
However, Cohn admitted there have been upticks in petty crimes since the holidays. This past November, a local suspect was arrested for commercial burglary when he broke into Carl’s Jr., Baja Sonora, Asian Chef and Subway on the Atlantic Avenue and Carson Street blocks of Bixby Knolls.
However, the incident led to minimal loss in revenue for those businesses, mostly as a result of preventative measures the BKBIA encourages for such occasions, said Cohn in a phone interview that November with the Signal Tribune.
At the event, he also said the BKBIA has been implementing LED lights around businesses and throughout the neighborhood to improve visibility and to avoid those “dead spots.” CSI Security Patrol, a service of security personnel that routinely patrols the district, also added daytime shifts for extra protection.
The BKBIA has two monetary sources— the BIA operating account and redevelopment funding (RDA).
The BIA operating account garners $160,000 annually from assessment fees paid by BKBIA business members.
These funds support utilities, advertising, insurance, building maintenance and supplies, permits and outside services, among other things.
RDA pays for projects, First Fridays Art Walk events, staff, marketing and miscellaneous events. The BKBIA is currently in year six out of 10 of its RDA fund, of which the association receives $200,000 annually to invest in the business district.
[aesop_image imgwidth=”300px” img=”https://signal-tribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Screen-Shot-2017-02-23-at-4.01.21-PM.png” align=”left” lightbox=”on” caption=”Martin Howard, owner of Martin Howard CDM and who owns the space where the Steelcraft food lot is located on Long Beach Boulevard, was presented the Visionary Award on Wednesday at the Expo Arts Center during the State of the District address for his contributions to Bixby Knolls.” captionposition=”left” revealfx=”off”] Cohn said the association has been reaching out to business owners to replace their signage, paint their buildings and improve their entryways. The BKBIA pays for 80 percent of painting costs, and businesses pay the remaining 20 percent.
The City of Long Beach has collected $200,000 of Measure A money to go toward the Expo Arts Center for refurbishments, according to Cohn. He said the BKBIA has provided its “wish list” to improve the structure and make it sustainable.
He also commended Small Business Saturday, which took place in November, the day after Black Friday. The event is meant to support local businesses. Another Small Business Saturday event has been added for May 21.
Cohn again brought up Steelcraft, a food lot that business owner Martin Howard had a big role in putting together. Toward the end of the evening, Cohn honored Howard by presenting him with the Visionary Award for his efforts.
“I would have to say that Bixby Knolls is the most visionary place of all of Long Beach, maybe even all of Los Angeles,” Howard said. “[…] I’m always humbled by the warm reception that any project that I’m involved in, in Bixby Knolls, receives.”
Community and business involvement has also been emphasized with various programs and events, such as the First Fridays Art Walk, Kidical Mass Bike Ride, Concerts in the Park(ing Lot), literary society, Good Spirits Club, Supper Club and Bixby Knolls Strollers, among others.
“We put these programs together to stitch the community together,” Cohn said.
First Fridays has featured participation by more than 40 businesses and city departments, Cohn said. There have also been 180 musical acts and 600 local artists.
The Supper Club has also contributed a 30- to 40-percent business increase to the restaurants where community members convene every Monday, he added.
[aesop_image imgwidth=”300px” img=”https://signal-tribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Screen-Shot-2017-02-23-at-4.01.28-PM.png” align=”right” lightbox=”on” caption=”Business owners and residents attended the annual State of the District on Wednesday night inside the Expo Arts Center to hear Executive Director of the Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association Blair Cohn’s updates about the Bixby Knolls neighborhood, new businesses and future plans for the district.” captionposition=”right” revealfx=”off”] The literary society, which has recently celebrated nine years, has donated 109 books to the Dana Branch Library since its inception, according to Cohn.
New businesses are still slated to open. Edgar & James is slotted to replace the previous Trader Joe’s location in June, and Smart & Final will open in Orchard Supply Hardware’s former spot, although a date was not specified.
Cheese Addiciton will open either in June or July, Cohn said.
Officials are also attempting to restore George’s ’50s Diner after a fire consumed most of the inside of the establishment in December.
Cohn also teased a possible Chick-fil-A at 33rd Street and Atlantic Avenue, but all he could say was that, “We’ll have to wait and see. We hope so.”
Cohn also announced that the Veterans Day Parade will come to Bixby Knolls in November.
He concluded by thanking the audience for their continued participation in the community.
“We thank you, most importantly,” he said. “Everyone says, ‘Oh, great job, Blair. Great job, Blair. Your team is great’ […] I say it’s only cool because you guys are here.”
