Bicycle Casino
As one of the largest card casino in the State of California, the Bicycle Casino has proven to be an entertainment destination center for the city, let alone for the Southern California region. The Bicycle houses two restaurants, a cocktail lounge, banquet/ meeting rooms, beauty salon, gift shops, delicatessen and hosts many special events.
Bell Gardens Marketplace Shopping Center
The 17.5 acre Bell Gardens Marketplace Shopping Center was one of the Bell Gardens Redevelopment Agency's major redevelopment project that includes the removal of major commercial blight, dilapidated housing and deteriorating mobile home park. To date, the Marketplace Shopping Center houses Food 4 Less Market, Rite Aid Drugstore, Big 5 Sporting Goods, family oriented stores, and many restaurant establishments that include International House of Pancakes, Pollo Loco, Yoshinoya Beef Bowl and Alberto's Mexican Food.
Toys R Us Shopping Center
This unique retail neighborhood shopping center involved five major property owners, including the Bell Gardens Redevelopment Agency, to redevelop the northeastern block of Florence and Eastern Avenues. This shopping center resulted in the development of a 37,500 square foot Toys R Us store, a Kentucky Fried Chicken, and a McDonald's restaurant, and a 20,000 square foot local grocery market store. This development is considered Phase I of a two-phase redevelopment. Phase II involves the remaining 9 acre land that will include three major commercial development pads.
Quality Inn/ Best Western Hotel by the Casino
With the Bell Gardens Redevelopment Agency's assistance to acquire and relocate commercial blighted activity, this nearly two acre Best Western Hotel by the Casino (originally developed as the Quality Inn) provides affordable clean accommodations for all visitors to the city as well as to the Bicycle Club Card Casino. The Best Western Hotel, located seconds from the Long Beach (710) Freeway, has over 70 rooms in this three-story site. It also provides meeting facilities for the city's business clients.
Light Industrial Park at Scout and Florence Avenues
In the early 1990's, the Bell Gardens Redevelopment Agency pursued and completed a 15-acre light industrial parks development. Currently it houses many leading Southern California industries. Resting adjacent to the Rio Hondo Channel, this industrial park can be easily accessible to all major freeways including the Long Beach (710), Santa Ana (5) and the San Gabriel River (605) Freeways.
Loveland/ Specht - 19 Unit Market Rate Housing Project
The Loveland/Specht Market Rate Housing Project was developed in the late 1980's. The Redevelopment Agency assisted in the land acquisition of this 19-unit site, which allowed National Security Development to develop this unique zero lotline development. Housing prices ranged from a low of $175,000 to a high of $200,000. This key 12,000 square foot two story developments included two car garages and three bedrooms, with living room, kitchen, and family room features.
Vinas La Campana (Nehemiah West Housing Project)
Bringing much needed homeownership to the city, Nehemiah West Housing Corporation, in cooperation with major religious organizations, the Bell Gardens Redevelopment Agency and the State of California, developed Viñas La Campana Housing Development on Gage Avenue near Garfield Avenue.
The five (5) acre gated community includes a mixture of two, three and four bedroom condominiums and townhomes, secured parking, a children's playground, 1/2 court basketball and fitness center. Each individual home features a private ceramic tile entry, air conditioning, formal dining room, oak kitchen cabinetry, large patios, and a minimum of two full baths. The two-bedroom floorplan sold at $97,950 and the three bedrooms at $111,950. A typical two-bedroom floorplan required only a $2,999 downpayment, due to loan subsidies from the Bell Gardens Redevelopment Agency and State of California, as well as below market interest rate financing from Great Western Bank. With the Agency's participation, the buyers' total monthly payments run were as low as $500. This development offered the buyer homeownership for less than what one might expect to pay for rent. This has been a tremendous opportunity for Bell Gardens citizens to purchase below market prices housing as well as obtaining special financing.
As the first of Bell Garden's redevelopment plans undertaken in December of 1972, Project Area #1 incorporates a 320 acre tract designated for commercial, office, recreational and residential use and is approximately 21% of the land area in the city. Project Area #1 is generally located on the southern and eastern ends of the city's area. Since inception, Project Area #1 has made improvements in the project area requiring land assembly for industrial development.
The Commission has supported the Los Angeles River Master Plan to receive 1992 Proposition A Funding from L.A. County Open Space District to develop a park (green space) in the Jaboneria/ Shull Neighborhood. The support of this project will lead to the development of a bike path that will link the Los Angeles River to Ford Park via the proposed Jaboneria/ Shull Park. The Nehemiah West Housing Development Project now known as "Viņas La Campana" was completed in April 1995. The Commission's project, of which the entire 126 condominiums/townhomes have been sold, is continuously referred to by the city, state, federal government and housing officials as the model for future housing development efforts in low/moderate income communities. Other potential assistance will be in the form of financing for public improvements that serve Project Area No. 1.
The Central City Redevelopment Project Area's redevelopment plans were undertaken in June of 1979. It incorporates a 140 acre tract designated for commercial, office, recreational and residential use and encompasses approximately 9% of the area in the city. The boundaries of Central City are one block east of Eastern Avenue to the east, Clara Street to the south, Gage Avenue to the north, and the Long Beach freeway to the west boundary.
The Central City Redevelopment Project Area has been oriented toward the improvement of commercial activity in the downtown area and to assist in the development of housing. To that end, the Commission has developed the Marketplace Shopping Center, the Quality Inn Hotel (now known as the Best Western Hotel by the Casino), Toys R Us, The Bicycle Club Card Casino, and the construction of 19 single family market price homes in the northern part of the project area, known as the Sunlane Housing Project (located at Loveland/Specht).
To contact the Redevelopment Division or if you have any questions regarding proposed developments:
City of Bell Gardens
Community Development Department
7100 South Garfield Avenue
Bell Gardens, CA 90201
Tel: (562) 806-7700
Fax: (562) 806-7720
