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Long Beach Redevelopment Agency (LBRDA) Collection
2017.029
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Title: Long Beach Redevelopment Agency (LBRDA) Collection
Dates: 1961-2012
Collection Number: 2017.029
Creator/Collector:
Long Beach Redevelopment Agency (LBRDA)
Extent: Approximately 102 linear ft., 126 boxes + 4 drawers of oversized materials.
Online items available
Repository:
Historical Society of Long Beach
Long Beach, California 90807
Abstract: This collection documents work of the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency (LBRDA) to promote economic renewal in local neighborhoods.
The Agency was formed in 1961 and dissolved by state law in 2012. The collection includes approximately 23,700 35mm slides
as well as many photographic prints, negatives, digital files, oversized aerial photographs, maps, and documents. These items
show neighborhoods both before and after the completion of LBRDA projects. They portray changes in Downtown Long Beach, West
Beach, Central Long Beach, the Poly High Neighborhood, North Long Beach, Bixby Knolls, Los Altos, the Westside, and in other
parts of the city.
Language of Material: English
There are no access restrictions on this collection.
All requests for permission to publish photographs or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director
of the Historical Society of Long Beach. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Historical Society of Long Beach
as the owner of the physical items, and does not include permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
[Identification of item]. Long Beach Redevelopment Agency (LBRDA) Collection. Collection Number: 2017.029. Historical Society
of Long Beach
The collection was donated to the Historical Society of Long Beach in 2015 and 2017 after LBRDA was dissolved in 2012 pursuant
to California State Legislation AB 1X 26.
The slides arrived in 75 three-ring binders, with the other items arriving with less organization. Once at the Historical
Society of Long Beach, the materials were sorted and rehoused in acid free folders and boxes. Rehousing and cataloging of
the collection was done by HSLB staff members Brandon Werts, Tristan Willenburg, Brian Chavez, Julie Bartolotto, and Yolanda
Villegas, by volunteers Erin Perkins, Jade Cortez, and by Leadership Long Beach. This finding aid was prepared by Tristan
Willenburg with help from Julie Bartolotto in 2019.
The processing of this collection and creation of this finding aid were made possible by generous support from the Long Beach
Navy Memorial Heritage Association.
Biography/Administrative History
The Long Beach Redevelopment Agency (LBRDA) was established in 1961 to promote economic renewal in local neighborhoods. Its
work changed city streetscapes by altering various residential areas and commercial corridors.
The City of Long Beach’s first focus of Redevelopment was the “Jungle,” an area of small apartments and motels built around
1900 along the beach, west of Downtown. Subsequent LBRDA projects included Downtown Long Beach, Long Beach Boulevard, Pine
Avenue, Atlantic Avenue, the Westside, Central Long Beach, the Poly High School neighborhood, Los Altos, Bixby Knolls, North
Long Beach, and “brownfields project” areas with industrial or petroleum pollution, among others. In short, the LBRDA’s work
affected many areas of the City of Long Beach.
The LBRDA was dissolved in 2012 through legislation by the State of California. At that time, it controlled 40% of the City’s
land, and millions of property tax dollars.
Scope and Content of Collection
The Long Beach Redevelopment Agency Collection documents the activities of the LBRDA in the City of Long Beach from the years
1961 through 2012. The materials include photographs, 35mm slides, documents, maps, compact disks, and video tapes. Areas
of the city of Long Beach represented in the collection include Downtown Long Beach, Central Long Beach, the Poly High neighborhood,
the Westside, North Long Beach, Los Altos, Bixby Knolls, and others.
The Collection is arranged in five series. If more materials relevant to this collection are either donated to the Historical
Society of Long Beach or found in HSLB’s archival collections, these series may continue to be modified.
Series 1 contains 35mm slides showing photographs of LBRDA projects. Many were taken by professional photographers such as
Kayte Deioma. Others were taken by City staff members such as David Inocencio and City Photographer Andy Witherspoon. They
are divided by location or project area. During processing, HSLB staff attempted to preserve LBRDA organization. In situations
where slides were out of order, the group was very large, or the subjects of the photographs warranted it, the slides were
reorganized to increase their utility to researchers. It should also be noted that some of the dates of the slide groupings
are approximations, based on the slides in each group.
Series 2 contains aerial photographs, maps, posters, and other oversized items. These materials, which are organized by projects
and object types, relate to LBRDA activities in Downtown Long Beach, Long Beach Boulevard, Atlantic Boulevard, King Park,
the Westside, Los Altos, Central Long Beach, and North Long Beach, and some smaller areas.
Series 3 contains digital media, specifically videotapes and compact disks, which contain a variety of documents, images,
studies, financial reports, promotional materials, and other information.
Series 4 contains photographic prints, including some smaller versions of the aerials in Series 2. The photographs were rehoused
and sorted according to project area.
Series 5 contains various physical documents, reports, and promotional magazines.
Aerial Photographs
Aerial Views
Blight
Buildings, Structures
City of Long Beach
City Planning
Construction
Demolition
Development
Harbor
Housing
Maps
Neighborhoods
Photography
Redevelopment, Urban
35mm Slides
Slides (Photographs)
Streets
Transparency, Slide
Los Angeles River
Port of Long Beach
Urban Blight
Urban Planning
Baxter, Elmar
Carroll, Donna
Deioma, Kayte
Grimm, Michele
Grimm, Tom
Inocencio, David
Metiver, George
Morris, Jim
Mortimer, Arthur M.
Owens, Peg
Robinson, John
Siegel, Minette
Westervelt, Julie
Witherspoon, Andy
City of Long Beach
Long Beach Redevelopment Agency (LBRDA)
Belmont Shore (Long Beach, Calif.)
Bixby Knolls (Long Beach, Calif.)
California
Central Long Beach (Long Beach, Calif.)
Downtown Long Beach (Long Beach, Calif.)
Long Beach Harbor (Calif.)
Long Beach (Calif.)
Los Altos (Long Beach, Calif.)
Marina (Long Beach, Calif.)
Naples (Long Beach, Calif.)
North Long Beach (Long Beach, Calif.)
Poly High School Neighborhood (Long Beach, Calif.)
Southeast Area Development and Improvement Plan (Long Beach, Calif.)
Southern California
Waterfront (Long Beach, Calif.)
West Beach (Long Beach, Calif.)
West Long Beach (Long Beach, Calif.)
West Long Beach Industrial (Long Beach, Calif.)
Westside (Long Beach, Calif.)