By Nick Diamantides
Staff Writer
Despite the faltering national and state economies, Bixby Knolls businesses are surviving, and there are some signs that things will improve in the not-too-distant future. The owners of a large vacant building still insist that it will be torn down to make room for a new Marshalls department store, the Atlantic Avenue repaving project is ahead of schedule, and the recent purchase of a shopping plaza shows that business people are still willing to invest in the area.
The long-vacant Robert’s department store building is still standing in the Bixby Knolls Shopping Center, but its owners insist that it will eventually be replaced by a new building housing Marshalls. The center is owned by Glendale-based GGF, LLC and managed by Gaska, Inc., also based in Glendale. (The same principals own both companies.)
In late 2008, Seda Aghaian, vice president of Gaska, told the Signal Tribune that she expected the Robert’s building to be demolished in early January. As anyone who has visited or driven past the Bixby Knolls Shopping Center knows, that demolition has not happened yet.
“Nothing has changed, but because of the economy everything takes longer to get financed,” she said. “The plans are the same but delayed. Hopefully in the next several months the demolition will happen.”
For almost five years, Long Beach city officials and Gaska principals have been working with executives of Marshalls’s parent company— Massachusetts-based TJX— to replace the old Robert’s building with a new Marshalls. Last year, TJX spokesperson Thea Houghton told the Signal Tribune that she expected the new store to open in late 2009, but now it is obvious that a new store won’t open there until sometime next year at the earliest. “Neither TJX nor we have changed our plans,” Aghaian insisted. “It is still going to happen, but unfortunately, I cannot give you a timeline.”
Meanwhile, according to Blair Cohn, executive director of the Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association, the Atlantic Avenue repaving project is ahead of schedule. About two months ago, crews began a major renovation of the business corridor from Bixby Road to San Antonio Drive. The project has impacted sales in the area, but most shop and restaurant owners are patiently hoping that the much-improved boulevard will increase business in the long run.
“This week the contractors will be working on the intersections and finishing up the side streets. They will also be fixing up tree wells and other small repair jobs,” Cohn said. “Beginning the week of June 15, heavy work will continue with the leveling of the street. On June 17 and 18 the paving of Atlantic will take place at night and we will finally feel like the job completion is not too far off.”
Cohn noted that street parking will remain available on both sides of Atlantic, except where the repair jobs are taking place. “Parking behind businesses remains open,” he stressed, adding that people with questions regarding the repaving project should phone the roadwork hotline at (562) 908-6272.
While the delay of the coming of Marshalls and the repaving project are testing the patience of some area residents, the purchase of a small shopping plaza seems to show that the Atlantic Avenue corridor is still a good place to invest. The Bixby Center at 4215-4275 Atlantic Avenue was recently sold, but no major changes are expected at the small shopping center that has about 11 shops and restaurants. The property, encompassing 20,740 square feet of land, sold for $6.05 million. The Long Beach office of Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investments handled the sale.
“Robert Sarno, representing the Sarno Trust, sold it to a gentleman by the name of Mike Dollinger,” said Marcus & Millichap sales associate Kirk Garabendian. “He might do some minor façade improvements to spruce it up a little, but the property is already in very good condition.” He added that all the shops are doing well. “If you go there you will notice that the parking lot is usually full. Business is good there. It’s a nice little retail pocket.”
The Bixby Center was built in 1979. Just north of Trader Joe’s, it includes the Long Beach Optometric Group, Subway, Glamorous Nails, Dasher’s Auto Insurance, Supercuts, 1 HR. Cleaners, Cold Stone Creamery, It’s A Grind coffee house, Allied Medical, Domino’s Pizza and Balloonies Party Supply.
