Nearly a decade of work will lead to success for Jean Paul Wardy, President of Central Properties, on Thursday, October 24.

And for property owner ray Lin – as well as a fair share of the long beach community hoping for a new showroom on the Southeast corner of Second street and Pacific coast highway-a quarter-century of waiting will be over.

It’s called 2ND

“We worked on this site for six years before we signed an agreement with the property owner to develop the site,” Wardy said Tuesday during a hard hat tour of the block-long property. “Retailers actually came to us looking for a place. They couldn’t find the site .”

On the other hand, the city and property owner Takisun (Lin family) struggled to find an acceptable development on the site. It was home to the SeaPort Marina Hotel, once a high-end hotel on the East side of the city but more recently a worn-out property used at least in part for long-term housing.

Takisun took two different works to develop land with a residential component with two different developers. Both were shot down at the city Council level of the permit process.

This gave way to CenterCal, which proposed a commercial center that fits into current zoning restrictions, including building height and usage. With the signing of Whole Foods as the center’s anchor, leasing and permitting began in earnest in 2017.

“I was pretty hands-on from the start,” Wardy said. “We had a vision early on and the leasing went big.

“There’s no doubt customers are shopping differently these days. The online store is very convenient. You have to offer what people can only find here and offer a high quality experience. With our list of retailers, restaurants and services, we have achieved this .”

Retail tenants on 2ND

Restaurants and eateries put out the same mix – Shake Shack, Bungalow, Ola Mexican, hungry Angelina. Tocaya Organica, Mixt Greens, Caffe Luxxe, Noble Bird Rotisserie, Urban Plates, Otosan, Italian home company and Sweet Shoppe on Tuesday.

According to Wardy, the same customer-centric approach was used for service providers. Large gyms similar to 24-hour Fitness were not considered.

Instead, the individual experience is highlighted in new ventures, including Barry Bootcamp, Hawt yoga, Sephora, movement Stretch Studio, Holly and Hudson nail Lounge, Solution, BOXHAUS, LATHER and be Fit Pilates.

There will also be financial services available with chase and HSBC banks and TSG Wealth management. V

The center should be fully leased by next summer, Wardy said.

One item – a movie theater or entertainment venue-was removed from the list on purpose, he said.

“We have a number of great restaurants and bars that will undoubtedly have some (entertainment),” he said. “As for the theaters, there Are two in the immediate vicinity (at Marina Pacifica and Marketplace).”

The impact on businesses in the immediate vicinity, including Second street in Naples and Belmont shore, has often raised concerns in discussions about 2ND

“It has been our experience that the center of bringing more people to the store who have not bought in the area before has a good effect,” said Wardy. “With a lot of activity, basically everyone will thrive.”

The architectural style of the center is observed throughout, with flat roofs, clean lines and attention to detail. There is significant landscaping around outdoor areas and common Seating areas, and Parking – with more than 1,000 spaces in the garage at the East end and on rooftops (with bridges between buildings) – is expected to be adequate, Wardy said. The street runs through the center, providing access to Parking.

“With our goal of providing a great customer experience, we’re kind of obsessed with the details,” said Wardy. “I think it turned out well.”

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