The city of Long Beach Planning Commission has approved the construction of a 127,246-square-foot Target store at 6750 Cherry Avenue, north of the 91 Freeway in North Long Beach, a location that has been empty for 10 years since a Home Base store closed on the site. Target is expected to begin construction in fall 2007.
In addition to the new Target, a gas station operated by Food 4 Less will be constructed as well as a 6,000 square-foot retail building with a drive-through lane at the corner of Cherry Avenue and 68th Street. A new Starbucks is expected to occupy the new corner building and a freestanding ATM will be located along Cherry Avenue.
“This project will bring new jobs to the community and help to revitalize a vital part of North Long Beach,” said 9th District Councilmember Val Lerch. “The community has been working for years to make sure that whatever went into that location would bring benefits to the neighborhood and the city as a whole, and this project will do that.”
Staff from the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency and the city’s Economic Development Bureau have been working for more than two years to negotiate a deal on the site. The project will bring not only retail jobs, but construction jobs as well.
“This is a win-win project for the city, especially North Long Beach,” said Patrick West, executive director of the Redevelopment Agency and director of the Community Development Department. “It is also a part of the extensive redevelopment underway in North Long Beach. Between the Agency’s work on streetscape improvements, North Village revitalization and corridor improvements, redevelopment projects are making a real difference in North Long Beach.”
“The Target building will comply with the city’s recently adopted Green Building Policy that requires that all private development projects over 50,000 square feet use sustainable construction and operation methods consistent with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED),” said Suzanne Frick, director of planning and building.
The LEED methods proposed to be used by Target include reuse of the steel columns and roof trusses from the Home Base building, construction of an Energy Star white roof, reduction of surface water runoff by 25 percent, and provision of a solid waste recycling program inside the store.
A shopping cart containment system will also be provided for the new Target, and will also include the existing Food 4 Less supermarket, which currently does not have a cart containment system. This program was approved by the City Council last year and is required for new construction greater than 5,000 square feet in area.
The new Target will be located next to the existing Food 4 Less supermarket and will replace the closed Home Base store. It will sell general merchandise, beer and wine.
The overall building design is livelier than a traditional big-box retailer, and includes contemporary elements such as canopies and recessed Target bullseye logos appearing as texture on the exterior walls. Display windows and an enhanced entry are also provided. The parking areas as well as the perimeter of the site will be enhanced with new landscaping.
