Pine Avenue's Z Gallerie moving out

A Pine Avenue business owner said Friday he is planning to leave the downtown main street he helped revive 15 years ago.

[Lost Faith]

Some people are actually doing their job, while others... I just don't know what to say.

[Saddened]

Z Gallerie is another victim of the tragic abomination that is the Pike at Rainbow Harbor. The Pike is a poorly designed and executed mess. The City and Henry Taboada in particular, should be ashamed!

[Oh really]

Note the owner said he couldn't get his calls returned by the city. Not the first time I've heard this from merchants and citizens. These are the people the council just gave a 5-year contract to. Their raise is the main reason next year's budget is 16.9 million upside down...and the reason we're seeing so many cuts. Supposedly these people are the best, which is why we have to pay them; so they will stay. Funny, I thought good people return their calls.

This is why the council offices need to be staffed for constituent services, because the other EMPLOYEES DO NOT RETURN CALLS OR TAKE PROMPT ACTION. The Council offices do.

[Lost Beach]

Long Beach is a totally corrupt city. Self-serving officials, gangsters punking us daily, and out of control cops that terrorize innoocent and productive citizens while labeling them "Deadwood". The city is simply unsafe for law abiding people and this is why I never spend any money in the downtown area. I am really sorry for Z-Gallerie because they have been good citizens and a credit to Long Beach.

[Mike]

Long Beach is a failing city....even though I own property down there, I found a new place to live in the Seattle area (Kirkland)...which blows LB out of the water. For thos that live in LB, its amazing up here, clean, safe streets, thriving economy (except for Boeing strike), but I'm so happy to be out of Socal.

[LBResident1]

This sounds like Robert Garcia has has started his run for the 1st Council District. His comments should be attributed as such.

[Juan Pardell]

This is what happens when you sandwich a failed, overused concept (The Pike) and a Walmart (Cityplace). The once great potential, that existed in downtown Long Beach, has been ruined by terrible city council decisions. Yet, do you ever hear any of them taking responsibility for what they've done? Many warning signs were issued. No one at city hall wanted to listen. Thus, Z Gallerie's departure, is another example of the city's incompetence.

[Robert J G Jackson Sr]

It's pretty simple. Long Beach needs to compete for businesses to locate here, and for them to remain here. How many have been chased away, or allowed to leave without any effort to retain them? In just this case alone, how many jobs, how much tax revenue will be leaving with Zeiden? As he says, he shouldn't have to chase the City down and should certainly be able to expect a return phone call. Z Gallerie is not a small operation. It appears that the last quality retail on Pine is now departing along with all the others who left earlier. Where is the City leadership? Where is the City commitment to business? Where is the Chamber? Why is this allowed to happen?

[Andy]

What Beck means is that there's no money for existing businesses because its been spent on sweetheat deals the RDA offers developers to create empty lots downtown. The RDA funding cut is long overdue, as the utter incompetence of the organization, from fiscal responsibility to urban planning expertise, has doomed downtown Long Beach for years.

The $2.8 million spent to buy out Acres of Books (a viable business) could have much more wisely been used elsewhere. Criminal.

[Dan Martinez]

Another stunning victory in LowenthalLand. The Lowenthal's can use Mr. Zelden's building as a Hostel for Meth addicts, a needle exchange, or possibly a Welcome Center for the increasing number of Illegal Alien Gangbangers who call LowenthalLand home. We get exactly the City we deserve. The last one out, please turn off the lights.

[Juan Pardell]

LBResident1 wrote:

This sounds like Robert Garcia has has started his run for the 1st Council District. His comments should be attributed as such.

If in fact he decides to run, the question he, and other councilmembers should be asked, is what are they going to do about it? Granted, because of historical bad planning, the demographics aren't favorable. Therefore, you can't expect for Bloomingdales to show up in downtown. But to continuously lose more retailers, will sink Pine Ave. into a further hole. Let's be realistic, John Morris, when he opined about what The Pike would do to retail north of the facility, was 100% correct.

[Juan Pardell]

BTW, we love Z Gallerie up here in San Francisco. Also, many retail experts I've spoken with, informed me that Crate & Barrel and Bath & Body Works rarely close stores. That tidbit speaks volumes as to the lack of Community Development's committment to improve the downtown Long Beach area. I guess they believe more social services will stimulate the local economy.

[Senay]

First Crown books, now the tape and record room, that bookstore and jewelry exchange on 3rd & pine, acres of books, and followed by that Z gallerie. Whats next?

[Juan Pardell]

Redevelopment Director Craig Beck said, ""It's been an important part of downtown for a number of years," he said. "We would love to see Z Gallerie stay and be part of the resurgence occurring downtown."

The alleged downtown resurgence, is close to going on twenty years. How long does it take to restructure your downtown area? The area, should be at its highest peak instead of one that's in perpetural atrophy. When major retailers decide to leave, with no plans to relocate in the immediate area, there is a problem. I wonder how long the recently opened Laugh Factory will be around for? It took them quite a while to open their doors.

[Senay]

And now the Vault 350 and that jazz club they were trying to make are closed also bringing even less business to Pine avenue.

[Downtown Resident]

Saddened wrote:

Z Gallerie is another victim of the tragic abomination that is the Pike at Rainbow Harbor. The Pike is a poorly designed and executed mess. The City and Henry Taboada in particular, should be ashamed!

I agree who ever designed the Pike did a really poor job. It is extremely unfriendly to visitors and has no flow to any of the attractions. To get from the pike to the pier you have to cross a freeway unless you go out of the way to use the catwalk. None of the stores can be seen from the main streets and you don't even know what stores and restaurants exist without looking at the directory. It would have been nice to see Loofs next to the ferris wheel in the round building on the corner and maybe GameWorks on same side facing out with some sort of indoor outdoor theme for all their games and attractions.

It is unfortuante Z Gallery is leaving Pine street as there is so much potential for the pike and pine. Unfortunately there is no corridor to connect the two. Between the two attractions you have a historical building and two empty lots planned for additional high rise luxury living. God forbide we need more condos in downtown long beach.

[Ronald]

We should not forget that it was not long ago that the local political class prided themselves for having the most severe anti smoker laws in the nation, a circumstance that their radical extremist pals in other areas soon jumped in to outdo them for purposes of increased taxation and Governmental control only.

It should not be surprising that this important demographic consumer group no longer patronizes Long Beach establishments that impose sales taxes unless it is absolutely necessary.

Ronald

[Juan Pardell]

Downtown Resident wrote:

<quoted text>
I agree who ever designed the Pike did a really poor job. It is extremely unfriendly to visitors and has no flow to any of the attractions. To get from the pike to the pier you have to cross a freeway unless you go out of the way to use the catwalk. None of the stores can be seen from the main streets and you don't even know what stores and restaurants exist without looking at the directory. It would have been nice to see Loofs next to the ferris wheel in the round building on the corner and maybe GameWorks on same side facing out with some sort of indoor outdoor theme for all their games and attractions.
It is unfortuante Z Gallery is leaving Pine street as there is so much potential for the pike and pine. Unfortunately there is no corridor to connect the two. Between the two attractions you have a historical building and two empty lots planned for additional high rise luxury living. God forbide we need more condos in downtown long beach.

The Pike, was doomed even before it was built. The developer, never got past the lease threshold to achieve financing from their lender. They decided to self-finance. They got a sweetheart deal from the city. If they didn't achieve a 12% return on investment, there were to be no rent payments to the city. It has turned into Long Beach's pet rock. Its done nothing for the city & taxpayers. I recall, when the city hall projections stated the Aquarium & Pike projects would draw 10 million visitors per year. I'd be surprised, in the nearly combined ten years of operations, if that particular value has been realized.

[JerryonOcean]

What's next on the Lowenthal's agenda for our neighborhoods? Along Ocean Blvd. we have Gang "tagging" spray painted to mark their new turf.
Wish the RDA would buy all of the good, decent, hard working citizens out. Z Galleries was ONE thing that was on par with all of our neighboring cities and now it is gone. Electing those least interested with any thing but being elected to higher and higher office is the disgrace we all share. Richardson has rendered us the laughting stock of even the Democrats in Washington. And, now after her pitiful "work" in Long Beach we are elevating a purely partisan hack to "represent" us in Sacramento. Long Beach is increasingly unworthy of decent people because we elected hacks who could care less. Remember when City Council people were actually proud of their City. Probably not, it was a long time ago. Crack Whores, Drug Addicts, and those who cannot get out are what remains of our City. Richardson and the Lowenthals are plenty good enough for a people who have no pride or sense of obligation to Long Beach.

[Glenn Matsuki]

We are disappointed to hear the news - the Z Gallerie for so long has been the retail heart beat of downtown. We have always been concerned at the lack of comprehensive marketing efforts to attract customers and "out of the box" thinking to welcome high-end and brand name merchants on to Pine and neighboring streets.

The Z Gallery departure is the final string of departures that demonstrate the overall failure by the Downtown Business Association to develop a comprehensive retail / entertainment master plan to revitalize the business and merchant core. Oh sorry we got a 711. This is so evident as you walk around the area and notice all the vacant commercial space available with more coming onboard - there is no real cause to spend anytime in the area except for some cheezie shops. City Place? Okay talk to the hand....

Is there someone awake here?
This is an opportunity to make some serious changes to the DBA. We hear so much complaining about a budget short fall; can we stop complaining and do something to build our tax base before we suffer cardiac arrest in downtown - PLEASE? City Council? Mayor Foster?