City of Long Beach Boeing C-17 Globemaster Transition Plan

JKA, working as a subconsultant to Dudek, collaborated with the City of Long Beach to develop a specific plan for the re-imagination of the decommissioned Boeing C-17 Globemaster factory and the surrounding industrial areas and highway corridors. The Globemaster manufacturing facility, just west of Long Beach Airport was previously associated with over 5,000 jobs. The City’s goal was to create an economically vital vision for the future of this district.

JKA’s specific tasks included base mapping, analysis of airspace restrictions, development of land use and circulation plans, provision of commercial/industrial development standards and design guidelines, and the facilitation of community workshops. Workshop input pointed towards continued prioritization of jobs-producing uses. Constrained by Long Beach Airport’s airspace requirements, JKA conducted a GIS analysis to identify the most and least restricted zones for the desired use programs. Utilizing GIS and market information, JKA developed a quantitative tool to model a range of scenarios that then emerged into the development concept, a mix of varied intensities of technology-based manufacturing, as well as commercial corridors that support the retail needs of nearby communities. The adopted specific plan included new zoning criteria for land uses, height allowances based upon air operation restrictions, required open space ratios, complete street design, and place-making principles and development guidelines.