Ever since I found out about it, the Jergins Subway has always aroused a high level of curiosity. So I jumped at the chance to tour the pedestrian tunnel under Ocean Boulevard at Pine Avenue as it was being cleaned up for the public this weekend.  On October 28^th, the Jergins Subway will serve as an ad-hoc movie theater as part of the University by the Sea event in Downtown Long Beach. Many of the films shown will feature classic movie footage of old Long Beach, including the former Pike amusement park as well as many of our lost downtown architectural treasures. I highly recommend attending these events, not only for the films but for the chance to see the historic “theater” itself.

 

The Jergins Subway was created as a pedestrian safety crossing for Ocean Boulevard at Pine Avenue. It provided passage for downtown visitors from 1928, when it was opened, until 1967, when the north end was closed to accommodate the widening of Ocean Boulevard (Long Beach Independent, June 7, 1967). The subway has a rich history, one deserving of an entire chapter in the chronicles of downtown Long Beach. At the University by the Sea sessions to be held in the tunnel, local historian Morgan Humphrey will provide context. 

 

The Jergins Subway’s recent history includes various efforts to reopen it, with one attempt traced to a 2002 city task force. The task force developed a number of reuse concepts for the tunnel, from historic museum to nightclub. At the time, it was determined that the primary obstacle to revitalizing the Jergins Subway was financing: $750,000 to reopen the tunnel, and over $100,000 annually to operate the tunnel (in 2002 dollars). A number of advocates still look to this task force’s document as a starting point for resurrecting the Jergins Subway.

 

The Jergins Subway is roughly 35 feet wide by 180 feet long, running from the edge of the driveway in front of the Renaissance Hotel to the edge of Victory Park on the south side of Ocean. The south end is temporarily boarded up with plywood, while the north end now terminates unceremoniously in a concrete wall. The tunnel’s interior is opulent: the main body of the floor has an ornate pattern of colorful mini-hexagon tile, with a beautiful running border of square mosaic tiles. The walls consist of white tile in a basket weave pattern, framed by alternating colored tile borders. The corresponding pattern is carried into a barrel vault ceiling, except for a portion that is cement plaster where a large skylight once existed in front of the former Jergins Building. The tile is in great shape, with only minor damage that could be largely remedied with tile reglazing.

 

Restoring the Jergins Subway would take little effort. The larger costs would be to modernize the tunnel for future use, including bringing the tunnel to current building code standards. Some would like to see the Jergins Subway brought back as a pedestrian passage to relieve congestion at the intersection of Pine Avenue and Ocean Boulevard. However, I tend to agree with others who contend that keeping the pedestrians at street level is essential to maintaining an active downtown. The tunnel is city property and thus any future use should maintain it as part of the public realm. 

 

What could be put in the tunnel? CSU Long Beach has been seeking a greater connection to the downtown. One gem that the university can share with the City is their incredible University Arts Museum. The Long Beach Museum of Art could also find a use for the tunnel as additional exhibition space, especially given its central location. The City of Long Beach would be well-served by a municipal art gallery allowing local artists to share their work with the public. An arts-related venue would provide a unique attraction for the most central portion of downtown, augmenting the dining, entertainment, and shopping already established there.

 

The primary logistical question is how to get people into the tunnel. There are both literal and metaphorical blockages: how to get people physically into the underground space, and how to build interest in visiting the location. There needs to be emergency egress at both ends; the north can exit through the sidewalk via concealed stairs like those typically found along subways. A primary entrance could be created using the former skylight in Victory Park. Creating a visual and psychological connection to the public could be made with a significant architectural marker. Imagine the drama of the glass pyramid of I.M. Pei’s addition to the Louvre or the glowing box leading to the Apple Store in Manhattan at the downtown crossroads of Pine Avenue and Ocean Boulevard. 

 

This Sunday, the public will have the opportunity to see the Jergins Subway.  This should be an opportunity for all of us to dream about what could be, and to build the public will for the tunnel’s reemergence as an important feature of Downtown Long Beach.

 

Apple Store in Manhattan (courtesy of Apple.com)

Editor’s Note: In an effort to raise greater awareness to the struggle to save Jergins Tunnel, 2nd District Councilperson Suja Lowenthal will discuss the issue in a special edition of the Long Beach Junior Chamber’s Beer & Politics event.  Lowenthal will be speaking, and available for discussion on Sunday, October 28th, from 1pm – 2:15pm at the University By The Sea Student Center, 135 Pine Ave.