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NEWS
JANuAry 10, 2014
Expo Arts Center in Bixby Knolls to undergo renovations, other changes this year
Sean Belk/Signal Tribune
Crowds gather in front of the Expo Arts Center, located at 4321 Atlantic Ave. in Bixby Knolls, during this month’s First Fridays Art Walk on Jan. 3. Sean Belk Staff Writer
The Expo Arts Center is entering a new phase of life this year. Once a furniture warehouse that closed in 2008, the space has become one of the city’s most prominent arts and entertainment venues, hosting art galleries, theatre performances and community meetings in the heart of Bixby Knolls at 4321 Atlantic Ave. The 35,000-square-foot building is also one of several properties formerly owned by the City’s now-defunct Long Beach Redevelopment Agency (RDA), which was abolished by the State. Last year, however, state officials determined that the facility would continue as public use and remain with the City, which is acting as the RDA’s successor agency. At the same time, several changes are in the works for the building, said Blair Cohn, executive director of the Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association (BKBIA), which leases
the building from the City. This year, a $300,000-renovation project is expected to continue, mostly to repair water damage after a contractor allowed rain to flood the entire northern section of the building, including the Back Room Theatre, during a roofing project about a year ago. Seyed Jalali, project officer for the Long Beach Development Services Department, said the State has approved $184,000 in former RDA funding to pay for the repairs while an insurance company, which has already reimbursed the City $80,000 for cleanup of the site, is expected to cover the remaining balance. He said subcontractors have already been selected and some work already began during the last week of December. Jalali said the entire renovation project should be completed in the next 60 days. Meanwhile, the City is expected to continue work on “life and safety” improvements, such as adding lighting in the art-gallery areas.
Overall, plans call for larger bathrooms that would be Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant, new flooring, dimmer switches and a newly built theatre space, among other modifications to the facility, Cohn said. “After all the improvements are made, we can finally spread out the groups so there can be a rehearsal in the Back Room Theatre while somebody else is rehearsing in the back lounge area or the main room,” Cohn said. “Right now, everybody’s kind of on top of each other because we lost part of the building.” In addition, both the BKBIA’s office and 8th District Councilmember Al Austin’s field office are expected to be relocated into the building, said Cohn, who clarified that the facility is not being put up for sale like the City’s other former RDA properties. Now that the BKBIA is moving in from next door, the association is taking more of a “hands-on” approach to managing subtenants, including
gallery artists, theatre companies and neighborhood groups that use the space on a regular basis, he said. “Because our offices will be in the building, we’ll be there to have more hands-on management and upkeep of the space,” Cohn said. “All the tenants of the building meet once a month to talk about any building issues. We coordinate calendars, and we know who is in there. We’ll continue to do that and maintain calendars and just make sure the space is running well.” Douglas Orr, who has had an agreement with BKBIA to manage the property and act as the curator for the art gallery, has recently announced he will be moving away from Long Beach because of financial reasons. Cohn said there are no immediate plans to replace Orr since BKBIA will be taking over much of the management duties. “I wish I still could be here and be a part of it,” Orr said. Still, the abolishment of RDA by the State will be a big blow to the Expo since redevelopment provided the City with annual funding to maintain the facility. Jalali confirmed that the BKBIA, which has a budget of $200,000 a year for a 10-year period in former RDA funding, does not pay for maintenance of the facility and does not receive rent from subtenants. One idea the community has proposed for years is to create a nonprofit with a board of directors that would provide an opportunity to apply for grants and accept tax-deductible donations, however, that plan is still yet to be determined. Jalali said the goal of the City’s long-range management plan for former RDA properties is to preserve the Expo building for government use, however the ultimate decision lies with the State Department of Finance. “It is our intention and our argument that the building should stay in City’s possession,” he said. As far as the Expo’s future, Cohn said he’s optimistic the new improvements will keep the building packed
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with artists and musicians for years to come. “There’s a lot of great stuff happening that will maintain the building,” he said. “We now can go ahead and program it to its maximum again with gallery spaces, art shows, kids drama and art camps in the summertime and theatre performances of all types. We’ll just continue to use it as a community arts center. That’s the plan– full steam ahead.” Currently, the Expo has about five regular subtenants in addition to oneoff events, such as the recent Kwanzaa celebration and community meetings. RIOTstage, a rock-and-roll-themed theater company in Long Beach, performed a show called The Brit on Dec. 14. In the past, the Expo has drawn such acts as Long Beach Opera and The Long Beach Shakespeare Company. The facility is also a main attraction for musicians, artists and vendors during the monthly First Fridays Art Walk, which generates foot traffic of see EXPO page 10
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