Two nuisance buildings in North Long Beach were torn down by the city on Monday morning, March 30, to protect the surrounding community from safety hazards posed by the abandoned property.
Long Beach took special action to demolish the two dilapidated buildings after the property owner failed to comply with multiple orders to address safety hazards on the abandoned lot that has been a neighborhood nuisance for years, city officials said.
At 7 a.m. Monday morning, an excavator tore down the remnants of the two vacant buildings at 6020-6090 Long Beach Blvd., just north of the 710 freeway, which were formerly a gas station and fast-food restaurant.
The project is part of the Long Beach Code Enforcement Bureau’s larger campaign to prevent blight and address safety concerns at abandoned buildings and vacant lots that pose hazards to public safety, officials said.
In October 2024, the City Council directed the Community Development Department to develop amendments to the municipal code, closing loopholes and strengthening enforcement tools to address safety concerns and prevent blight from occurring at abandoned properties. Staff recommendations for those code amendments were approved by the City Council on Jan. 20, 2026.
“Residents of every part of Long Beach deserve to feel safe in their neighborhoods,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement. “The city has heard ongoing concerns about this property and provided the owner multiple opportunities to address them. With those efforts unsuccessful, we are stepping in to protect the surrounding community.”
Workers walk past a gutted fast food restaurant as they prepare to demolish it and an abandoned gas station in Long Beach on Monday, March 30, 2026. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Work crews demolish an abandoned fast food restaurant and gas station in Long Beach on Monday, March 30, 2026. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Work crews pull apart an abandoned gas station and fast food restaurant in Long Beach on Monday, March 30, 2026. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Work crews pull down the roof as they demolish an abandoned fast food restaurant and gas station in Long Beach on Monday, March 30, 2026. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Work crews work to demolish an abandoned fast food restaurant and gas station in Long Beach on Monday, March 30, 2026. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Work crews demolish an abandoned fast food restaurant and gas station in Long Beach on Monday, March 30, 2026. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
A school bus passes by an abandoned and gutted fast food restaurant, as city officials marked it for demolition on Monday, March 30, 2026. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Work crews demolish an abandoned fast food restaurant and gas station in Long Beach on Monday, March 30, 2026. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
An abandoned gas station sits boarded up just before it was demolished in Long Beach on Monday, March 30, 2026. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Work crews demolish an abandoned fast food restaurant and gas station in Long Beach on Monday, March 30, 2026. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Work crews work to demolish an abandoned fast food restaurant and gas station in Long Beach on Monday, March 30, 2026. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
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Workers walk past a gutted fast food restaurant as they prepare to demolish it and an abandoned gas station in Long Beach on Monday, March 30, 2026. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
For this property, the city followed a long and deliberate code enforcement process to address safety concerns at the two vacant buildings, according to a press release.
City inspectors responding to community complaints first found the property to be in violation of safety ordinances in 2022, noting fire damage, broken windows, and excessive weeds, according to a press release. In 2023, inspections in three separate months all resulted in citations sent to the owner. Follow-up inspections in 2024 noted progressive deterioration, including damaged plumbing, mechanical and electrical systems, exterior doors that did not close properly, broken windows, graffiti and abundant weeds and trash.
The Long Beach Board of Examiners, Appeals and Condemnation (BEAC) in July 2025 voted to give the property owner, Los Angeles-based Golcheh Developments and Investments, until Aug. 21, 2025, to rehabilitate or demolish the buildings.
After the deadline passed without significant or sustained improvements made by the property owner – and after exhausting all code enforcement options amid continued community complaints – the city moved forward with demolition to address the ongoing safety concerns, according to a press release.
This project is expected to cost between $200,000 and $300,000, depending on project duration and complexity, officials said. The city intends to recoup all costs related to the demolition from the owner and pursue a lien on the property, which has entered foreclosure and will be sold at auction.
“My office heard the concerns of our residents loud and clear, and today we are taking decisive action,” Eighth District Councilmember Tunua Thrash-Ntuk said in a statement. “When a property owner repeatedly ignores their responsibility to the community and refuses to cooperate, the city must step in. We are taking this necessary step because the safety and well-being of the Eighth District is non-negotiable.”
An estimated 250 abandoned lots exist within Long Beach city limits, officials said. The vast majority of them are privately owned and do not pose hazards to surrounding communities.
When concerns do arise, more than 90% of owners do respond to city citations, demands to clean up a property, or otherwise address public safety concerns, officials added. If an owner does not respond or cannot be located, the city may declare that a property is in substandard condition and take necessary action to address safety concerns.
The demolition at 6020-6090 Long Beach Blvd. was a rare level of response, the press release stated, and the decision to pursue demolition came as a firm but necessary step due to the property’s location within a frequently used school route.
The Code Enforcement Bureau will continue to work with Long Beach Fire and Police Departments to share information and identify locations of repeated nuisance calls, officials said, particularly sites where structure fires and criminal activity have been reported.
The demolition is not expected to take longer than one week to complete, according to the press release. After the lot has been fully cleared, the property will be enrolled in the city’s Vacant Lot Registry and monitored regularly until a new buyer develops it. Code Enforcement officials will also be making door-to-door visits in the neighborhood to inform residents about this action.