Sewer line work begins at Long Beach Superblock property

Developers are installing a new sewer line to connect 438 condos and apartments on the Superblock property in Long Beach to the city’s sewer system.

The sewer line, estimated to cost between $3 million and $5 million, will close portions of Riverside Boulevard as developers continue to build on the long vacant boardwalk property facing the ocean between Long Beach and Riverside boulevards.

Uniondale Developer Engel Burman is building two nine-story condo buildings including 200 units and a 10-story building with 200 apartments on the once-vacant 6.5-acre lot. The plans also include a boardwalk-level private swimming pool and plaza and 6,500-square feet of restaurant and commercial space. The project is scheduled to be built by the end of 2024.

Developers agreed to install the sewer system as part of a community development agreement that would improve city infrastructure and have the sewer capacity to add new residents in the buildings in the next several years.

Work began last week, closing Riverside Boulevard south of Park Avenue. City officials said they expect the work on East Walnut Street to finish next week, with work continuing for at least the next two months on the rest of Riverside to connect to the property south of Broadway.

The work and cost of the project, completely covered by Engel Burman, will also improve the city’s sewer line and water main for surrounding residents, said Joe Febrizio, the Long Beach commissioner of public works.

“It not only services the new buildings, but it’s an upgrade for city residents,” Febrizio said.

Engel Burman is replacing the sewer system to transfer waste to the city’s sewer treatment plant facing Reynolds Channel. The plant has the capacity to treat 7.5 million gallons of sewage per day and currently treats under 5 million gallons, Febrizio said.

But the city needed to improve its aging sewer pipes to transport wastewater underneath Riverside Boulevard. The city also plans to convert the city’s wastewater plant into a pump station to transfer sewage to Bay Park, rather than pump treated sewage into Reynolds Channel.

Engel Burman is also replacing a water main from Shore Road with a new 20-inch water main to Broadway and Riverside Boulevard, which also supports surrounding homes, Febrizio said.

Since breaking ground in September, Engel Burman has prepared the property and installed 2,300 piles into the ground to support the foundation of the building. Developers said they are drilling auger cast piles to reduce pounding into the grounds, which was requested by residents to reduce noise.

Developers plan to build a two-story parking garage with 1,100 parking spaces on the first two levels of the complex during the next six months.

“In the weeks and months to come, Long Beach will see a project that has concluded much of the required infrastructure that may be out of sight but very much crucial to the work," Engel Burman partner Jon Weiss said in a statement.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.