Center to get extreme makeover

Owners of one of the city’s aging shopping centers are moving ahead

with a much anticipated demolition and rebuild.

Developers of the mostly abandoned Beachmont Plaza Shopping Center

at the northeast corner of Brookhurst Street and Adams Avenue plan to

soon demolish the site to make room for a new 55,000 square-foot

Ralph’s Grocery and an 11,000 square-foot free standing building.

“It’s been in a general state of disrepair for quite a few years

now,” said neighbor Bob Riedesel. “There’s been very little in the

way of improvements.”

The remaining structures will be treated with a new plaster

finish, a pitched concrete-tile roof, decorative columns and other

architectural enhancements.

In addition, the entire parking lot will be reconfigured including

new paving treatments at driveway entrances and new landscaping.

The existing Sav-On Pharmacy will remain in place and be fitted

with a drive-through window.

A public art project will also be incorporated into the work,

showcasing five planter boxes and six benches cast in the form of

open encyclopedias, in reference to the small Huntington Beach

“encyclopedia lots” given away with the purchase of encyclopedia sets

in the early 1900’s.

Off-site improvements will include a new traffic signal on

Brookhurst north of Adams, and a new northbound right-turn lane on

Adams.

The project had been delayed due to the competing interests of the

property owners and the grocery store employee strike. Developer

Business Properties LLC said construction should begin by March.

The city also recently approved conceptual plans to remodel the

former Rally’s building, a small drive-through building at the corner

of the property, for use as a Starbucks Coffee shop.

The project’s architect is preparing the working drawings for

submittal. The Planning Department anticipates that Starbucks will be

in business this summer.

Stories about the old Golden Bear wanted

A Huntington Beach man is asking the community to submit stories,

photographs and artwork for an upcoming book about the old Golden

Bear night club that used to sit near Downtown on Pacific Coast

Highway.

Former HBTV cameraman Robert Carvounas has been researching the

book since December, compiling a history of the theater, which was

built in 1929 and eventually demolished in 1986. A chain movie

theater and an apartment building now sit at the site of the music

venue, which in the 1960s and 1970s was host to concerts by Jerry

Garcia, stand-up performances by Steve Martin and poetry readings

with Charles Bukowski.

Carvounas’ book is still in search of a publisher, but he hopes to

see it released sometime this year. The book will include dozens of

photographs and concert posters and a complete history of one of the

city’s most remembered building.

“Anybody who went there sensed the significance of it,” Carvounas

said. “It’s a fascinating story and a definitive part of our

history.”

Carvounas is asking members of the public to submit their own

memories of the Golden Bear, in the form of short essays or simple

quotes that can be used at the beginning of the book’s chapters. He

is also looking for photographs and original artwork.

Deadline for submissions is March 31. Carvounas requested that all

material be e-mailed to [email protected]. Those interested also

can call (714) 205-2665.

City’s largest office building nears capacity

Coreland Companies of Tustin recently announced that it has

negotiated five leases at the Plaza, a 305,000-square-foot office and

retail center at the corner of Beach Boulevard and Warner Avenue.

The Plaza is home to Assemblyman Tom Harman’s office, its height

and sheer size making it visible from nearly any point in Huntington

Beach. Officials with the company said the new deal represents the

growing demand for corporate headquarters and facilities in Orange

County and Huntington Beach.

Steven Hogberg and Matt Hammond, Coreland Companies leasing

agents, recently announced the five negotiated agreements:

* Starbucks signed a five-year lease for 10,850 square feet for a

total of about $1 million.

* Declues and Burkett, LLP, a law firm, signed a 64-month lease

for 7,974 square feet for a total of about $890,000.

* Countrywide Home Loans signed a five-year lease for 6,522 square

feet for a total of about $599,500.

* West Coast Servicing signed a three-year lease for 1,277 square

feet for a total of about $79,000.

* Earth Friendly Technologies signed a three-year lease for 1,053

square feet for a total of about $69,500.

The Plaza is at 17011 Beach Blvd. and consists of a 15-story,

205,000-square-foot office tower and approximately 100,000 additional

square feet of retail buildings, anchored by Bally’s Health Club and

Regal Cinemas.

Two floors of office space remain available, including the 15th

floor that has a mezzanine with a health club and a roof-top

helicopter pad.