Results tagged “Acres of Books” from Press Corps

Residents tonight can hear more about the ArtExchange being built on the former Acres of Books property and weigh in on the project's environmental impact.

City Councilwoman Suja Lowenthal, the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency and the ArtExchange Board of Directors will be on hand to discuss the collaborative art facility project proposed for the southeast corner of Third Street and Long Beach Boulevard.

They'll provide some history of the project, and the architect will do a presentation with more details. The staff also will discuss the project's process under the California Environmental Quality Act.

Long Beach Redevelopment Agency board members earlier this year moved forward with plans to build an art exchange at 240 Long Beach Blvd., which Acres of Books called its home for nearly 50 of its 74 years in business.

Similar to the Torpedo Factory art center in Alexandria, Va., and InCUBATE in Chicago, an art exchange provides a space where visitors can buy art, attend classes and watch artists at work.

The project is about 10,850 square feet of building area with nearly 6,000 square feet in new floor area and would include studios, classrooms and a hot shop for glass blowers and ceramics. Plans for the ArtExchange would incorporate part of Acres' facade.

The meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. at the Museum of Latin American Art, 628 Alamitos Ave. E-mail info@eastvillagelongbeach.com for more information.

After nearly 75 years in downtown Long Beach, the iconic bookstore on 240 Long Beach Blvd. is no more after Oct. 18.

Owners Phil and Jackie Smith recently sold the 12,500 square-foot property at 240 Long Beach Blvd. to the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency for about $2.8 million.

They are making way for a mixed-used project being built around Broadway, Long Beach Boulevard, Third Street and Elm Avenue. The project - which officials say is key to connecting downtown to the East Village - calls for student housing, retail and an art center for classes, events and art displays.

Redevelopment Agency Executive Director Craig Beck said the agency has been in talks with Cal State Long Beach and hopes to sign an agreement with the university and secure a potential developer in the next few months.

The deal, struck in April after nearly two years of negotiations, allows the Smiths to stay at Acres rent-free until May 1 to give them time to either relocate or to close shop for good. But the option to relocate is looking unlikely, said Jackie Smith. Acres ' new home would have to be at least 10,000 square feet, available for purchase, have ample parking, be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and not located in a redevelopment area.