Modified plan for more, but smaller, units at Pine Avenue development, wins approval

The Long Beach Planning Commission gave unanimous approval Thursday for the revised plan of the “Queen Beach” housing project, which will now have 140 smaller apartments rather than the original 69 larger units.

The development will be built at the corner of Pine Avenue and 10th Street, the former site of Queen Beach Printers.

While the commission originally approved the project with larger units in October, developer Bill Edwards, president of Long Beach Printers, said during the meeting the new design was necessary after the previous developer could not follow through. As a result, Edwards stepped and was “coached” to make the project viable, he said.

The majority of units will be studio (67) and one-bedroom (59) apartments measuring 450 and 540 square feet, respectively. The project also will include 12 two-bedroom units ranging from 815 to 978 square feet as well as two 1,293-square-foot, three-bedroom apartments.

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All storage space within the units such as pantries and closets are required to have built-in organizers to maximize space.

Sixteen units will be allocated for low-income households in compliance with the city’s inclusionary housing ordinance, which requires 11% of newly constructed rental units in Downtown and Midtown areas to be designated as affordable.

The low-income apartments will include seven studios, seven one-bedroom units, one two-bedroom unit and one more unit still to be decided.

The eight-story building will also include 80 parking spaces, 60 bicycle parking spaces, roughly 2,400 square feet of commercial space and 10,325-square-feet of common and private areas, according to a staff report.

Caitlin Antonios was laid off by the Long Beach Post on March 22. Thank him for continuing to cover Long Beach without pay.