“Turn and face the strange, ch- ch- changes,” the song commanded, and it was Bowie’s famed single “Changes” that appropriately transitioned into Blair Cohn’s talk of new additions to Bixby Knolls as he delivered an update to its residents during the event.
Cohn, the executive director of the Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association (BKBIA), discussed the status of incoming businesses and citywide improvements during the State of the District at the Petroleum Club.
The former location of Ralphs at 4250 Long Beach Blvd. will finally be home to new businesses in March and April, Cohn said. Pet Food Express will open in the area in early March, and Trader Joe’s will officially relocate and open on either Apr. 4 or Apr. 5, with a Crunch Fitness opening its doors on either of those April dates, as well.
Both Chipotle and Jersey Mike’s are still under construction and will be up soon after those April dates. In addition to these businesses will be one other service store and a “fast and casual” dining spot whose identity Cohn was not able to disclose during the presentation.
SteelCraft, a food lot that will be built entirely out of shipping containers along Long Beach Boulevard, is currently in the process of being constructed and is due for mid May. As of press time, the general contractor, Howard CDM, is working on the actual lot, which includes grading and utilities.
Atlantic Avenue has some additions of its own. Aldi, a discount grocer, will occupy the former spot of the Bixby Knolls post office at 4580 Atlantic Ave. Cohn said it will be a great addition to an area that will also include a CVS and another new tenant.
The Bixby Knolls Shopping Center has finished its façade improvements along the California Plaza on the backside of its location, Cohn said. Massage Envy has moved into the plaza, and Smart & Final Extra! will make its way into the location formerly occupied by Orchard Supply Hardware.
By the end of spring, the Bixby Knolls post office will have its place at the shopping center, as well. Cohn said the leases were signed and negotiated by Gaska, Inc. and the federal government.
Cohn said the No. 1 priority for the district is staying clean and safe. The neighborhood is utilizing CSI Patrol Services, Inc. four nights a week and two days a week in order to patrol the area of Bixby Knolls and to be available at a moment’s notice if there is a problem.
“We’re very pleased, and the police would even recognize that incidents in the business district have gone down because we have a presence,” Cohn said. “Now, can we stop every kind of criminal activity? No. But, the fact that they are out there day and night has made it a major deterrent for us.”
Cohn added that there is talk of adding more days and extending hours to those with the CSI Patrol Service since it has been successful.
In regard to safety, lights have also been added to more corridors around Bixby Knolls. Cohn said that areas such as Long Beach Boulevard have been dark for quite some time, which has been a cause of concern for residents. The BKBIA has been going from space to space in order to work with tenants and landlords about either replacing lightbulbs or installing whole new light systems altogether, if necessary.
Areas, such as Bixby Knolls Mortgage and Mirage Restaurant, have already benefitted from this solution, Cohn said, noting that more lighting implementations should be on the way around neighborhoods. He also added that residents may report any street lights that are not working properly.
“It gives the image of a safe and active district,” Cohn said. “It makes it much more walkable.”
Cohn also thanked Troop 29, a Boy Scouts group that has assisted in refurbishing and cleaning various buildings and spots in the neighborhood, such as removing a dead tree that was identified as an eyesore in the district.
There have been other various landscape and façade improvements around Bixby Knolls, Cohn said. He gave the property of 4241 Long Beach Blvd. as an example.
The BKBIA would literally go door to door and ask landlords or tenants with outdated buildings if they would be interested in a paint job or some sort of lighting or landscaping maintenance, Cohn said. The property owner on Long Beach Boulevard happened to reach out for assistance.
[aesop_image imgwidth=”500px” img=”http://www.signaltribunenewspaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Screen-Shot-2016-02-26-at-10.40.51-AM.png” align=”left” lightbox=”on” caption=”A packed house of local residents occupied the Long Beach Petroleum Club during the Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association’s State of the District on Feb. 18. Residents were updated on the status of new businesses such as Trader Joe’s and SteelCraft. ” captionposition=”left”] The tenant of the 4241 Long Beach Blvd. property had an issue with homeless people loitering nearby and called the BKBIA to take a look. Cohn said that the solution for that particular issue would be to cut down any extra bushes or trees that may serve as encampments or hiding spots. In providing that solution, however, there was an opportunity to offer maintenance work, such as painting or landscaping, for the outdated-looking property.
“That’s really our nice way of saying ‘Hey, you really need to paint your building,'” Cohn said half-jokingly. He said “long story short,” it’s a done deal and the maintenance project for the property was a success.
There will be a constant lookout for key spots that require that kind of landscaping, Cohn added.
An event that will make its way back to Bixby Knolls will be Beach Streets, an event that opens up roads for walking, cycling and socializing by temporarily closing the streets to automobiles.
Cohn said Beach Streets will return to the neighborhood in more than a year, after the event has made its way through the Retro Row portion of Long Beach next March. Cohn concluded the evening by thanking the residents of Bixby Knolls. “We wish the best for 2016,” he said, “and to continue this momentum for the district.”
