Materials presented to the Long Beach Planning Commission offer a look at a proposed mixed-use complex at 3rd Street and Pacific Avenue.

The 3rd and Pacific development, proposed by Ensemble Real Estate Investments, would replace two city-owned parking lots adjacent to Metro's A Line.  Plans call for the construction of two buildings - a 23-story tower and an eight-story mid-rise structure - featuring 345 apartments, 14,481 square feet of ground-floor retail space, and a 563-car parking podium.

The project would offer a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units - some of which could be as small as 450 square feet - with common amenities.

Portland-based Ankrom Moisan Architecture is designing 3rd and Pacific development, which would have a modern appearance and common amenity decks located at the roof level of the tower and the podium-level of the mid-rise structure. 

Landscape plans by RELM show a pedestrian paseo cutting east-to-west between the two buildings.  The paseo - combined with plans to build to LEED Silver certifications and install a "green roof" - makes the project eligible for certain development incentives, including additional floor area in height.  As a result, the tower will stand 269 feet - exceeding the property's 240-foot height limit.

Construction of 3rd and Pacific is expected to occur in two phases, beginning with the mid-rise structure and followed by the high-rise tower.  The paseo would be built during the second phase of the project.

The staff report recommends that the Planning Commission should approve requested entitlements.  

Ensemble, which is based out of Long Beach, recently completed a smaller multifamily residential building just south of Ocean Boulevard.