ÂMore than 12,800 fans of Long Beach’s main Facebook page are helping the City count down its top 10 stories of 2013.
“The City of Long Beach delivers excellent service to the community day in and day out,” Mayor Bob Foster said. “These 10 stories are worthy of extra notice because they showcase how we are continuing to improve our wonderful city.”
To highlight the 10 most significant news items for Long Beach in 2013, the City has been releasing one story per day on its Facebook page, beginning Dec. 22. The number-one story of 2013 was posted on Dec. 31 at 11am.
No. 10
The Pacific Ballroom debuts at the Long Beach Arena
The Pacific Ballroom special-event venue made its grand-opening debut as Long Beach’s newest, largest and most innovative meeting and special-event space. With its state-of-the art sound and customizable theatrical lighting, the floor of the Long Beach Arena transforms into a 45,000-square-foot event space. An overhead truss grid, complete with LED lights, stage lighting, sound system and decorative elements, lowers into place to create an intimate venue for up to 5,500 people for dinners, concerts, meetings or other special events. Industry insiders expect the new ballroom to be one of the most desirable venues in the country, according to city staff.
No. 9
The Promenade transformation finished
The City of Long Beach celebrated the completion of The Promenade, whose pedestrian-oriented transformation connects the downtown waterfront to three blocks of improved residential, commercial, retail and restaurant venues. Improvements on The Promenade from Ocean Boulevard to 3rd Street transformed a stark, underutilized walkway into a (vibrant, safe, friendly and beautiful space for residents, visitors and business people in the downtown to enjoy), said city staff. Three new residential developments and multiple businesses have opened along The Promenade, along with a new and expanded Bikestation Long Beach.
The Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center debuted the Pacific Ballroom at the Long Beach Arena on Nov. 20, 2013, with an evening of “reveals” for those in attendance.
No. 8
Long Beach’s water quality continues long-term steady improvement
More than 90 percent of the city’s beaches received excellent marks in the Heal the Bay 2013 End of Summer Beach Report Card. Factors contributing to improved water quality in Long Beach include infrastructure improvements, grant funding, regional partnerships and technology. Heal the Bay’s annual report noted that water quality in Long Beach improved throughout the year, including the dramatic improvement of water quality in the winter months, which is usually the most difficult time to maintain good water quality due to winter storms, according to city officials.
No. 7
City of Long Beach recognized three years in a row as national leader in using technology to improve service
For the third year in a row, the City of Long Beach was named a Top-10 Digital City in a national survey that measures performance and innovation for using technology to enhance service to residents and businesses, while improving internal operations. The City uses technology to better engage the community, improve service and increase efficiencies, according to city staff. The Center for Digital Government and Government Technology focused on identifying the top technology initiatives across four categories: citizen engagement, policy, and technology and data access. The City of Long Beach was recognized for its extensive social-media efforts; mobile-apps adoption and expansion; the Long Beach Police Department’s video monitoring center activation; Wi-Fi internet access expansion in libraries and parks; and cloud-computing adoption.
No. 6
Significant parks expansion and Gold Medal Park Award
The City Of Long Beach completed five major park projects: Craftsman Village Park, Baker Park, Harvey Milk Promenade Park, Clippers Playground at McBride Park and the DeForest Park Futsal Courts. Also, the following park projects are under construction or development: Orizaba Park Community Center, Chittick Field, Willow Springs Park, El Dorado Dog Park and Coolidge Park Improvements. In addition, the Department of Parks, Recreation & Marine was awarded the 2013 National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management, making Long Beach the largest city to receive a Gold Medal Park Award this year.
A crowd looks on as Long Beach Fire Capt. Jackawa Jackson, Fire Chief Mike DuRee and 9th District Councilmember Steven Neal prepare to push a fire engine into the newly constructed Fire Station 12 during a grand opening of the north Long Beach facility on Sept. 24, 2013.
No. 5
Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse opens
The Deukmejian Courthouse opened in downtown Long Beach, replacing the old Long Beach courthouse, which was one of the worst in the state due to fundamental flaws, overcrowding and the inability to meet accessibility requirements, City staff said. The new courthouse is the first major civic building in the United States to be delivered through performance-based infrastructure (PBI), a delivery method that involves engaging a private team to finance, design, build, operate and maintain the court building. Under this public-private partnership, the developer makes a substantial equity investment, and the state makes availability payments, allowing for deductions if the infrastructure does not perform to set standards. The PBI arrangement made it possible to deliver a needed civic building with design excellence for the long term despite the lack of funds to pay for the project up front, according to the City. The Administrative Office of the Courts acquired the site from the former Long Beach Redevelopment Agency in exchange for the existing courthouse and its land. The project was completed under budget and ahead of schedule, City staff said.
No. 4
New fire station 12 opens in north Long Beach
The opening of Fire Station 12 and the Emergency Resource Center dramatically enhanced the City’s ability to respond to the needs of the community, especially in the event of a significant incident, according to City staff. “The state-of-the-art facility demonstrates the City’s commitment to improving public safety for residents and businesses and showcases the City’s commitment to find a way to overcome challenging economical times and continue to improve our communities— creating a more healthier, stable environment where families can thrive,” reads a press release by the City. Fire Station 12, the first new residential fire station in Long Beach in decades, was funded by the former Long Beach Redevelopment Agency (RDA).
Construction on the new George Deukmejian courthouse, located at 275 Magnolia Ave., began in 2011 and finished last August.
No. 3
Long Beach experiences 40-year low for violent crime
Long Beach achieved a 40-year low for violent crime in 2012, the City announced in January 2013. The overall total of citywide violent crimes decreased by 5.3 percent from the prior year, and the violent crime rate in Long Beach was the lowest since 1972.
No. 2
City Council approves $391 million General Fund budget with $3.5 million surplus, $60 million for one-time investments
The City adopted a $391 million General Fund budget that contained a budget surplus of $3.5 million, the first surplus in 10 years— the first time in many years that the City of Long Beach has not been confronted with a General Fund deficit. The City also realized $60 million in one-time General Fund revenues in 2013 that provide a unique opportunity to replace failing and obsolescent business systems and to reinvest in deteriorating city facilities and infrastructure. Furthermore, the City set aside a significant amount for unfunded liabilities. The City maintained excellent bond ratings from Standard & Poors, Moody’s, and Fitch rating agencies.
No. 1
The City of Long Beach achieved full pension reform in October after negotiating the final agreements for all City employees to pay their full share of pension costs, making Long Beach the largest CalPERS city to achieve this milestone. This historic pension reform is expected to save the City of Long Beach an estimated $250 million through Fiscal Year 2024, including $130 million in savings to the General Fund.
Source: City of LB
