The Minimum Wage Debate in Long Beach Continues
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1_LBBJ_November10_LBBJ 11/7/15 6:59 PM Page 1 November 10-23 , 2015 Long Beach’s Newsmagazine www.lbbizjournal.com Focus On The The Minimum Wage Debate Real Estate In Long Beach Continues Industry Economic Development Commission Granted More Time To Study Issue As Deadline Extended To Early Next Year Long Beach’s Residential, I By SEAN BELK agreed at its meeting on October 27 Commercial Real Estate Staff Writer to request more time to review the Markets Continue Positive subject after commissioners raised Trends, With Multi-family ayor Robert Garcia has concerns that one meeting on No- Still Driving Development M granted a request to give vember 24 wouldn’t be sufficinet to the city’s economic development consider such a complex and im- commission (EDC) more time to portant topic before making a rec- I By SAMANTHA MEHLINGER review studies on the potential im- ommendation to the city council. Senior Writer pacts of raising the minimum In response to the commission’s wage in Long Beach, extending request, the mayor stated in a let- hird quarter data from real the deadline for the commission to ter that the commission should T estate brokerage firms and make a final recommendation to meet in December and January to organizations illustrate that all of the city council to early next year. further review the issue with addi- Long Beach’s residential and com- The 11-member commission (Please Continue To Page 27) mercial submarkets are improv- ing, although some are outpacing City Council Overstepping Its Role others in terms of development, sales transactions and property I By GEORGE ECONOMIDES, Publisher’s Perspective value gains. The multi-family market is still Imagine wanting to open a restaurant in Long Beach and the city leading the pack in real estate de- As a boardmember of the Memorial Medical Center Foundation, Ben Alvarado, council dictates the name you must give your establishment, the hours velopment. Long Beach Planning president of Wells Fargo’s Southern California region, is closely involved with phil- you’re open for lunch, your menu, what you charge for a meal or the Commission agendas for this anthropic efforts benefiting Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach. He vendors you must deal with? Not going to happen, you say? How is that month reveal two new multi-fam- is pictured with Joyce Volsch, Miller Children’s vice president of patient care serv- ices. (Photograph by the Business Journal’s Larry Duncan) any different than telling you how much you must pay your employees? ily projects planned for the down- Long Beach’s nine city councilmembers were not elected to determine town area, adding to a slew of Wells Fargo’s Philanthropic what the minimum – or maximum – wage a business operating in this city other projects that will eventually must offer its employees, just like they were not elected to tell us where create more than 2,000 new resi- we go to church, who we date or marry or how we spend our money. dential units. Efforts In Long Beach Some workers don’t seem to understand that if you don’t like what Sares-Regis Group, the same you’re being paid or how you’re treated, get another job. If you want to developer behind the mixed-use Help Multiple Groups earn more, get an education or learn a trade. Councilmembers should development Douglas Park, has be leaders who encourage residents to better themselves through the submitted plans to the city for a many opportunities available to them right here, right now. I As the second largest city in 136-unit, seven-story condo com- By SAMANTHA MEHLINGER The entrepreneurial spirit in Long Beach is exciting. We see it every- Los Angeles County, with large plex at 101 Alamitos Ave. The Senior Writer where. People of all ages and ethnicities are enthusiastic about their hospitals, arts organizations, edu- planning commission is set to vote city and are willing to take a chance by starting a business or taking ells Fargo traces the cational institutions and thousands on the project on November 19. their idea to the next level. Elected officials should be encouraging W roots of its philanthropic of nonprofit groups, Long Beach The Long Beach City Council them. The potential is limitless. Councilmembers: Why screw it up? I approved the sale of property on giving and volunteerism all the is a point of focus for Wells the south side of 3rd Street be- way back to the bank’s Fargo’s charitable efforts LBCC Board President Doug Otto: tween Long Beach Boulevard and founding year, 1852, accord- and contributions. Elm Avenue, which was formerly ing to Jonathan Weedman, “Wells Fargo really be- ‘Education Is The Ticket Out owned by the Long Beach Rede- who has served as senior lieves that it can only be velopment Agency, to Ratkovich vice president for the Wells successful if our communi- Of Most Of Our Problems’ Properties, LLC on November 3. Fargo Foundation since 1996. ties are successful,” Weedman told A mixed-use building with apart- The bank has been giving to and the Business Journal. “That is why I By MICHAEL GOUGIS and Jon Meyer in their 2016 re- ment lofts, ground floor retail and volunteering with Southern Cali- we invest so much in terms of our Contributing Writer election bids.) creative office space will be built fornia nonprofits since the 1980s, philanthropic commitment, volun- “Right now, the average student on empty space north of the when it expanded its reach into the teerism, board service and our uch of the debate on will graduate in six years from Acres of Books building, accord- Golden State through its buyout of community support campaign.” M higher education today community college. We want to ing to city planning documents. Crocker National Bank. In 2014 Wells Fargo’s primary areas of focuses on getting students into take it from six to three. That is Meanwhile, current apartment alone, Wells Fargo gave more than focus for giving are education, eco- college. But for Doug Otto, presi- part of what I’m trying to do. Only developments are progressing, $24.3 million in grants to Los An- (Please Continue To Page 22) dent of the Long Beach Commu- 54 percent of UC students earn including the 222-unit Parc geles and Orange County nonprof- Long Beach Veteran nity College District Board of (Please Continue To Page 28) Broadway at 245 W. Broadway, its, and its employees volunteered And Wartime Memorials Trustees, it isn’t enough to count the 156-unit Edison Lofts at 100 more than 35,000 hours of their heads on the first day of class and (Please Continue To Page 9) time for local causes. declare victory. Long Beach Business Journal “We need to increase access PRSRT STD 2599 E. 28th Street, Suite 212 U.S. POSTAGE so we can get more people into Signal Hill, CA 90755-2139 PAID classes. But we need to improve 562/988-1222 • www.lbbizjournal.com Los Angeles, CA completion and time to comple- PERMIT NO. 447 tion – how quickly they do it,” said Otto, who is running for re- election for the District 4 seat that he has held since 2004. (The Business Journal recently endorsed Otto, along with Long Beach attorney Doug Otto is cur- rently serving as president of the five- Councilman Daryl Supernaw member Long Beach Community College See Photo Spread Pages 38-39 and Long Beach Board of Edu- District Board of Trustees. (Photograph cation members Felton Williams by the Business Journal’s Larry Duncan) 1_LBBJ_November10_LBBJ 11/7/15 6:59 PM Page 2 1_LBBJ_November10_LBBJ 11/7/15 6:59 PM Page 3 1_LBBJ_November10_LBBJ 11/7/15 6:59 PM Page 4 4 Long Beach Business Journal November 10-23, 2015 Inside This Issue 27 Newswatch • Minimum Wage, continued from Page 1 Inside City Hall • Interview With Doug Otto, continued from Page 1 6 • UTI Campus Opens To Meeting Growing Demand • Increase Voter Turnout – Move Elections To November? By Former Councilmember Gerrie Schipske • Response: Schipske Column ‘Riddles With Inaccuracies’ 32 In The News • Long Beach NAACP Chapter Celebrates 75th Year 8 Real Estate Quarterly • Long Beach Police Academy Class 88 Graduates • Real Estate Overview, continued from Page 1 • Energy Incentives From Edison: Big Check For Molina • Long Beach Home Prices Rising, But Moderately • Adaptive Reuse: Former Verizon Building Downtown 34 Perspective • Apartment Rents Increasing As Vacancy Low • ‘Riverwalk’ Homes Coming To North Long Beach • Signal Hill Office, Industrial Space Sees Improvement 36 Art Matters • Heger Industrial Expands Long Beach Office Presented By The Arts Council For Long Beach • Real Estate Office Profile: INCO Commercial 37 The Nonprofit Page 22 Philanthropy Presented By The Long Beach Nonprofit Partnership • Wells Fargo Philanthropic Efforts In Long Beach • Millennials: The Next Generation Of Giving 38 Long Beach Veteran and Wartime Memorials • Seeking Funding? Advice From A Foundation Exec Free: Long Beach Business Journal Digital Edition, Monday Morning Coffee, NewsFlash Sign up at: www.lbbizjournal.com • Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter: @LBBizJourn 1_LBBJ_November10_LBBJ 11/7/15 6:59 PM Page 5 1_LBBJ_November10_LBBJ 11/7/15 6:59 PM Page 6 6 Long Beach Business Journal INSIDENEWSWATCH CITY HALL November 10-23, 2015 the second Tuesday in May with elected city freeholders and the board of education members taking office in July. Other sixth class cities held their elections in early April. Somewhere along the line, Long Beach switched and kept its elections in April. Out of the 1,039 school districts in California, only 45 hold elections in April. Perhaps it is time to move Long Beach elections entirely to November and eliminate a primary.