Pike
at Rainbow Harbor to offer shopping, jobs
Karl
Peterson/On-line Forty-Niner
The
new Pike, which will offer more than 900
jobs, is scheduled to be completed within
the next couple months.
By
Jillian Johnson
On-line Forty-Niner
The
City of Long Beach is doing all it can to
bring back the historic past of the Pike
at Rainbow Harbor. This $130 million development
is under way downtown to provide a safe
and fun gathering place for the community.
The
construction area was known as the Pike
until the late 1960s and holds great historical
significance in Long Beach. The Pike was
once the center of livelihood and life and
the development is meant to regain that
characteristic once again.
"Like
the Pike of old, the Pike at Rainbow Harbor
will feature many cafés and public
gathering places and become a vital element
in the day to-to-day life of Long Beach,
drawing visitors from throughout the region,"
said Eric Malloy, senior vice president
of Developers Diversified Realty.
By
building this new center, the city hopes
to rejuvenate downtown Long Beach and provide
overall amusement for its guests. The Pike
will include a 14-screen Crown Theater and
a 40,000 square-foot GameWorks but that's
just the beginning. The Pike will eventually
have numerous restaurants including California
Pizza Kitchen, Harry's Bar and National
Sports Grill.
"It's
about time the city builds something to
attract us too. Not everyone is 21 and it's
exciting to know that there will be a new
place to hang out at," said Monique
Mechan, freshman at Cal State Long Beach.
The
center will have a pedestrian bridge that
will look like the Cyclone Racer, an old
roller coaster that operated from 1930 to
1968. Lights, trees and planter boxes will
also be added to give the guests a cozy
and warm feeling.
The
Pike will not only have all these places
to hang out at but it also offers more than
900 full-time jobs to the public.
"It's
hard to find a job right now and to hear
that this many full-time jobs will be available
gives me some hope," said Chad Geissler,
resident of Long Beach.
Downtown
Long Beach is known for not being the safest
spot in the town with gang issues and the
recent robbery cases, so whether the Pike
will hold up its weight for being safe remains
to be determined.
"We
will make sure that police are at the Pike
at all times and security within parking
structures and such. If someone is loitering
then they will be asked to leave but we
will hold up our end in making Long Beach
safe," said Chris Ignacio, Long Beach
Police Officer.
The
City of Long Beach will be doing all it
can to help beautify the city and bring
more people out to enjoy it by painting
curbs and fixing streetlights also in the
downtown area.
The
pike is located next to the Aquarium in
Rainbow Bay. The Crown Theater and a few
restaurants are now open but all should
be finished within the upcoming months.
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