LB28: OPEN FOR BUSINESS INITIATIVE
Making Long Beach one of the easiest cities in California to open and grow a business.
Long Beach has incredible entrepreneurs and neighborhood business districts, but too many storefronts sit empty because the process of opening a business is slow, confusing, and expensive. This Action Plan lays out how Chris Sweeney will change that.
THE PROBLEM
TODAY, BUSINESSES OFTEN FACE:
multiple departments reviewing permits
long approval
timelines
unclear
requirements
repeated
inspections
These delays can cost small businesses thousands of dollars in rent before they even open.
OUR GOAL FOR LONG BEACH
Chris Sweeney will make Long Beach one of the easiest cities in California to open and grow a business.
Cut business permitting times in half and reduce vacant storefronts by 50% within two years.
HOW WE'LL GET THERE
Business Express Permitting
Create a cross-department team (Planning, Fire, Health, Public Works) that processes business permits together instead of separately.
Goal: Cut approval timelines by 50%.
Fast-Track Previously Approved Spaces
If a restaurant, salon, retail store, or similar business already existed in a location, a new business with a similar use should be able to open quickly.
Goal: Open businesses in weeks, not months.
Vacant Storefront Activation Program
Work with chambers of commerce, workforce organizations, and property owners to fill empty commercial spaces.
Goal: Reduce vacant storefronts by 50% within two years.
Small Business Concierge Office
Entrepreneurs should not have to navigate City Hall alone. Chris will create a Small Business Concierge Office to help business owners navigate permits and city services.
Goal: 48 hour response time.
DIVE DEEPER
Launch the Business Express Permitting & Fast-Track Systems
Establish the Small Business Concierge Office
Launch the Vacant Storefront Activation Program
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR OUR COMMUNITY
By revitalizing our neighborhood corridors and filling empty storefronts, we are creating a Long Beach that feels alive and full of opportunity. This plan ensures that local entrepreneurs can grow, creating high-quality jobs and building safe, walkable streets where families can thrive together.
Chris Sweeney is dedicated to a future where every neighborhood reaches its full potential through action, accountability, and community pride.