Greg Steinhauer News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

The first new build, full-service hotel coming to Long Beach in decades has secured $8.75 million of land acquisition financing.

Long Beach announced a Hard Rock Hotel will come to downtown, potentially helping revitalize the area's entertainment scene.

Jennifer Stein has been selected as the new economic development director, where she will lead a team at the City of Peoria.

- ADVERTISEMENT - Councilman Roberto Uranga, who also serves on the Coastal Commission, signed onto an appeal late last month challenging some of the aspects of the proposed hotel, including how it affects pedestrian access to the coast, the cost to stay at the hotel and how the hotel’s valet parking would impact access to a public park. The appeal was also signed by Coastal Commission Chair Steve Padilla. Celina Luna, Uranga’s chief of staff, originally declined to comment on the appeal because it was still active and said that the appeal could be heard as soon as May. A few hours later,...

- ADVERTISEMENT - The commission voted to certify an environmental impact report and approved site plans and a local coastal development permit that will move the project along to a vote by the City Council. Perhaps most important was an approval by the commission to allow the project a three-year window to begin construction. Last month Greg Steinhauer, president of American Life, said the project likely needed a two-year extension to break ground due to the economic situation currently playing out because of the global pandemic. Without the extension Steinhauer said the project could die. H...