Demolition begins on Old English Village in Long Beach for Queen Mary District revitalization

LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- Demolition is underway at the Old English Village in Long Beach, a once-popular themed shopping space located across from the Queen Mary that has remained vacant for years.

City leaders said they plan to transform the building into a vibrant space.

"This space that was built 51 years ago, really has been unsafe, dangerous and now we're going to make it safer," said Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson. "It will open up more space for programming, the parking in relation to the cruises and Queen Mary and more arts, culture and entertainment."

Developers said revitalizing the site will bring more economic growth to Long Beach in the coming years, especially as the city prepares to host events for the 2028 Olympics.

"Long Beach will be home to 11 Olympic events across six different, distinct venues, all along our iconic waterfront. This area is in close proximity to that, so I can imagine the more we invest in this space, in these festival grounds, it could be used for more activations and activities during 2028."

The project is also a major step toward advancing the Queen Mary District and supporting its operations.

"This is really an opportunity to draw in more business, investment, as well as jobs to our community," said Bo Martinez, director of the Economic Development Department. "And we really think this is going to be the next evolution of the development of the Queen Mary District. It's going to be about tourism, hospitality, entertainment, music and future development."

Demolition is expected to be completed by the end of May and then city leaders will start the planning process on how the space will be utilized.