The City of Long Beach issued a stop-work order Monday at the former Jackson Hotel when it was discovered that an electrician was not present to oversee some of the renovation, officials said.
The Jackson Hotel was sold in June to a corporation called 405 East Broadway LLC, which was in the process of modernizing the building and keeping it a moderately priced hotel, said Long Beach Buildings Commissioner Scott Kemins. Once the work is completed, the building will be renamed the Long Beach Hotel.
Kemins said workers were removing some walls in the basement and demolishing some of the hotel’s bathrooms when they were slapped with the stop-work order.
“Anytime you knock down walls or there is demolition work in the interior you’re required to have a licensed electrician on board,” Kemins said. “You are dealing with electrical wires and switches.”
He said the city’s Buildings Department sent the new owners “a letter to that effect,” but work was done anyway, which is why the stop-work was ordered. “There was some break down in communications and so we issued a stop-work order,” Kemins said.
Find out what's happening in Long Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
No penalties will be levied as long as they abide by the order, he said, adding that failure to comply will result in a fine of $250 per day.
Kemins said he was waiting for a licensed electrician to file papers with the city before work can begin again.
David Kadosh, one of the hotel’s owners, said his electrician was on vacation and could not file the paperwork on time. He said he would be back on the job this week. Kadosh denied that workers had torn anything down in the hotel and said an electrician was needed because some of the bathrooms were being redone.
Find out what's happening in Long Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“We’re just cleaning up everything,” he said. “We’re not breaking any walls. We’re keeping everything the same size, the way it was years ago. We’re just beautifying it.”
Kadosh said the project should be completed within the next couple of months. He noted that the hotel will hold seminars, which “will bring good crowds to the city such as doctors and educators. This will also bring jobs to the people in Long Beach. “This will be a positive thing for people who use the hotel,” he added.
Let Patch save you time. Get breaking news and great local stories like this delivered right to your inbox or smartphone everyday with our free newsletter. Simple, fast sign-up here.
The project manager declined to comment on the stop-work order and referred calls to a woman identified only as “Erica,” a PR person for the project.
Erica appeared to be caught off-guard by news of the stop-work order. “I can’t believe that,” she said. “I’m going to look into it right now. I thought they had an electrician on board.”
Kemins said the building dates back to 1927 so it needs much work.
“Everything about it is old,” he said. “The interior definitely needs some sprucing up. It has water leaks. It needs carpeting, paint and repairs.”
He said the bathrooms were being equipped with new toilets and tiles, but added that no other papers have yet been filed with him regarding any other renovations.
“There could probably be more work done to the building as they progress, but I’m unaware of the extent of it as of yet,” the buildings commissioner said.
Kemins said the new owners were also working with the Department of Labor in case any asbestos needed to be removed because the structure is so antiquated.
“When everything they need is in place, we will issue a permit,” he said. “As far as I know, now they are doing everything they need to do it properly. They have a contractor, they have a plumber, and now all they need is an electrician.”
