Downtown is a significant contributor to the overall success of Long Beach and the greater Los Angeles region. The urban center provides thousands of above-average paying jobs, is home to many unique destinations and attractions, offers a wide variety of residential communities, and is a diverse and exciting place to work. New investments around the Downtown have dramatically reshaped the City’s skyline and have added considerable bustle to the sidewalks.
The environment for doing business in Downtown Long Beach comes replete with management and development tools and services designed to cultivate robust business growth. With administration provided by the Downtown Long Beach Associates (DLBA), the Downtown area benefits by having a community-led Business Improvement District that ensures Downtown streets are clean, safe and vibrant. Through these and other value-added services such as marketing, special events and economic development, the Downtown is proof that combining private interests with the public good can create a thriving urban core.
Downtown is a Center of Tourism
Annual Visits, Major Attractions & Events
Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center — 1.6 million
Aquarium of the Pacific — 1.5 million
The Queen Mary — 1.4 million
Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach — 172,000
Long Beach Pride Festival — 100,000
Long Beach International City Marathon — 65,000
Summer and Music — 20,000
Other events — 425,000
Downtown is a Large Portion of the City’s Job Market
Downtown Long Beach has one of the highest employment densities in Long Beach. It also provides a large share of job opportunities for the residents of nearby cities. More than 37,000 people are employed in Downtown Long Beach. More than 24 percent of the people employed in Downtown are from Long Beach; nearby cities such as Los Angeles, Lakewood, Carson, Bellflower and Torrance account for an additional 24 percent of the employed in Downtown.
Downtown is a Development Boom
The next wave of investment will continue Downtown Long Beach’s remarkable evolution. Over the next few years, the following swell of planned development will deliver:
• Nearly 1,700 residential units
• 740,000 sq.ft. of office space
• 400 hotel rooms
• 56,370 sq.ft. of retail space
• 15,000 sq.ft. of arts-related uses
• 500,000+ sq.ft. of civic space
• 31 new courtrooms
• 545,000 sq.ft. court building
*Data and photos courtesy of the Downtown Long Beach Associates