The 429-room hotel has been in the works for nine years.
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson announced the construction of a new Hard Rock Hotel in Downtown Long Beach on Monday, Nov. 13.
The new hotel will be built near the intersection of Ocean Boulevard and Pine Avenue, at the site of the former Jergins Trust Building.
“A thriving downtown, a thriving entertainment district, helps to chart a thriving city,” said Richardson during the announcement, which was given during a private party adjacent to the future hotel site.
The Long Beach Hard Rock Hotel location will include an underground speakeasy in the famous Jergins Tunnel, 429 rooms, 31 stories, a rooftop bar and an outdoor pool that overlooks Rainbow Harbor.
“We look forward to partnering with [Hard Rock’s] entire team,” Richardson said. “Let’s get to it on construction. We are eager to have this place open and ready as we welcome guests for the 2028 Olympics.”
Councilwoman Mary Zendejas thanked Gregory Steinhauer, the developer of the project, and Jon Lucas, COO of Hard Rock International, for “believing in us and investing here in the city of Long Beach.”
Richardson and Zendejas both said that the new development is in line with the Grow Long Beach Initiative, an effort by Long Beach to shift away from its dependence on oil revenue and towards five other industries: Aerospace and Aviation; Healthcare; Ports and Logistics; Housing and Education; and Arts, Culture and Tourism.
“I am so proud to be bringing more tourism here to our city, and making Long Beach a true destination city for everyone to come visit,” Zendejas said.
Steinhauer said the project will break ground in the summer of 2024 and open in the second half of 2027.
Plans to create the hotel started nine years ago, when now-Congressman Robert Garcia was mayor, said Steinhauer.
“We are honored to be part of this community, and getting the shovel in the ground and a crane in the sky,” Steinhauer said.
This article was updated on Nov. 14 to correct Robert Garcia’s position as a Congressman. The Signal Tribune regrets this error.
