Millworks and Antioch Church Announce A Match Made in Heaven

Millworks and Antioch Church of Long Beach are excited to announce an agreement that will revive 350 Pine Ave. The renowned building was designed by celebrated African-American architect Paul Revere Williams and is located in the Historic Old Pine Ave Business District in the heart of downtown Long Beach.

Pictured left to right: Becky Blair, President & Principal CBC Blair Westmac; Michelle Molina, Managing Partner Millworks; Wayne A. Chaney, Jr., Senior Pastor Antioch Church of Long Beach; Myesha Chaney, Executive Director Antioch Church of Long Beach; Sheva Hosseinzadeh, Associate CBC Blair Westmac

“The purchase of 350 Pine will allow us to do much more than house our services, it will serve as a premier venue,” said Pastor Wayne Chaney. “We see an opportunity to bring events that inspire the City,” adds Mrs. Myesha Chaney. The yet to be named venue will cater to musical acts, plays, weddings, comedy shows and business events in addition to Antioch church services.

What makes this transaction special is the extraordinary timing. Millworks acquired 350 Pine Ave in 2015 and made plans to restore the languishing building into a top-notch concert venue. But after three years of unsuccessful negotiations, the Millworks team couldn’t find any like-minded partners or investors and were ready to cut their losses and sell the property. Around the same time, Becky Blair and Sheva Hosseinzadeh at Coldwell Banker Commercial were tasked with selling Antioch Church’s current property and finding a new building that could also function as a multipurpose venue. After four years of searching, they found nothing that fit the Chaney’s vision and they didn’t have a single offer on the table for the current property.

The Chaneys were ready to give up. After meeting with the church leadership, the Chaneys decided to wait one more week before taking their property off the market. “It was really nothing short of miraculous,” says Pastor Chaney. “In that one week, after four years of nothing, we got three offers.”

Three days after the Chaneys accepted an offer on their church property, 350 Pine Ave became part of the conversation. Inexplicably, the property had been overlooked during their 4-year search and it turned out to be everything they wanted. “A match made in heaven,” proclaims Michelle Molina, Managing Partner at Millworks. The fact that the building had been designed by Paul Revere Williams, one of the first African-American architects on the West Coast, only gave it deeper meaning.

The Chaneys were exactly the kind of people the Millworks team was looking for to write the next chapter at 350 Pine Ave. “This could still be a music venue, but it could also be a whole lot more. It could be more than we ever would have made it,” Molina said.

At least 50 temporary jobs will be created during the construction phase of the project and many more permanent jobs will be created by the church and venue business once the building is completed. Kara Rice, Principal at Citron Design Group, is leading the charge on the building’s design and activation. Jan van Dijs at Jan van Dijs Construction Management will be responsible for the build-out and ensuring the renovation remains true to the client’s needs and vision. The project is expected to be completed in 12 – 18 months.

About Millworks
Sixth & Pine Development, LLC, known locally as Millworks, is owned by Michelle & John Molina and managed by Michelle since 2011. Millworks is a commercial development company with neighborhood development, adaptive reuse, and the arts at the center of its development strategy. Their most well-known projects, The Press Telegram/Meeker-Baker project for Molina Healthcare and The Packard Building on Anaheim, are part of the nearly half a million sq. ft in downtown Long Beach with their name on it.

About Antioch Church of Long Beach
Antioch is a vibrant community of believers passionate about influencing culture. This contemporary, multi-generational church has brought healing to this region for over five decades. Antioch’s 2,500-member congregation is led by Pastor Wayne A. Chaney, Jr.

About CBC Blair Westmac
CBC Blair Westmac is a Long Beach-based commercial real estate firm founded in 1993 by Becky Blair as Blair Commercial Real Estate. In 2011, Blair Commercial became an affiliate of Coldwell Banker Commercial and formed a partnership with West Los Angeles powerhouse, CBC Westmac. As a full service real estate company, it provides exceptional consultation, advisory and marketing services to property owners, users, developers and investors.

About Citron Design Group
Citron Design Group is a full-service commercial interior design studio based in Long Beach, CA. With Principal Kara Rice at its helm, the Citron Design Group are experts in adaptive reuse and restoration of existing buildings. Kara’s background in construction, project management and her refined visual instinct makes Citron Design Group uniquely capable among design studios.

About JR van Dijs Construction Management
Principal and Founder Jan van Dijs is a respected industry leader with extensive experience in commercial, restaurant, hospitality and residential construction and development. Jan has over 30 years of experience on a range of large-scale local and international projects specializing in urban redevelopment, adaptive reuse and historical restoration.

Millworks
Contact: Michelle Molina
562-310-0483
Michelle@millworkslb.com

Antioch Church of Long Beach
Contact: Pastor Wayne Chaney
562-591-8778
info@antiochlb.com