For Immediate Release
(949) 216-9970
02/05/2008
R.D. Olson Construction Begins Work on Hotel in Heart of Long Beach Entertainment Area
IRVINE, Calif.—R.D. Olson Construction has begun building the boutique 138-room AVIA Long Beach at The Pike at Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach.
The hotel by Wichita, Kan.,-based LodgeWorks is being constructed at the corner of Bay St. and Chestnut Ave., near the Aquarium of the Pacific and the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center.
The AVIA lobby will feature an interior tree sculpture that replicates a mini-forest, wall coverings that mimic the play of light and shadows, a courtyard deck and bar lounge. In-room luxuries will include spa-inspired bathrooms, high-definition flat-screen televisions and iPOD connections.
The seven-story $27 million project is expected to add to the allure of the downtown entertainment and retail center. It includes a rooftop pool with a deck that overlooks The Pike at Rainbow Harbor, which is expected to be used as a vantage point for the Long Beach Grand Prix.
R.D. Olson is employing its extensive background in building for the hospitality industry on this project.
“Although hotels are becoming more complex given new technology that needs to be employed as an intricate part of their design, we continue to complete each job within budget and on schedule,” said Robert Olson, CEO/president, R.D. Olson Construction. “It’s our forte.”
Architectural design is by Jeff Krehbiel Associates of Wichita, Kan.
Colum McCartan, who designed Hotel Vitale and Hotel Adagio in San Francisco and Le Parker Meridien in New York, is credited for the interiors.
Construction is slated to be complete in late spring of 2009.
Over the past decade, more than $1 billion has been invested in retail, commercial and residential development in the Long Beach downtown and waterfront, according to local government officials. The addition of an AVIA is expected to be a major asset to the city’s convention and meetings market as well as for business and leisure travelers.
LodgeWorks is the force behind such innovative industry-leading suite brands as Residence Inn and Summerfield Suites Hotels. AVIA is its new boutique hotel collection set in vacation and urban areas. Others in the collection are slated for Savannah, Ga.; Napa, Calif.; and north Houston.
R.D. Olson Construction was founded in 1979. It has since grown into one of the largest general contracting companies in California. The firm has built such establishments as Ojai Valley Inn & Spa Resort, Ojai; Marriott Newport Coast Villas, Newport Beach; Brentwood County Club, Los Angeles, and more than 300 restaurants nationwide. Most recently, the company completed construction of two California hotels: Residence Inn by Marriott in Oceanside–Marriott International’s $13 million four-story prototype for the extended-stay market; and the $40 million Burbank Marriott Residence Inn. Projects on the boards include the $65 million Renaissance ClubSport, Aliso Viejo, and the multi-phased Shadow Ridge, Palm Desert – both in California.
