Long Beach City Council
May 9, 2023

Office of the City Manager
411 West Ocean Boulevard, 10th Floor
Long Beach, CA 90802
(562) 570-6711
May 9, 2023

HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
City of Long Beach
California
RECOMMENDATION:

Receive and file a presentation on the City of Long Beac h Proposed Cambodian American Cultural Center Vision and Feasibility Plan (Plan); and, provide direction to the City Manager on the Proposed Plan and/or adopt the Proposed Plan . (Citywide)

DISCUSSION
In September 2021, the City Council directed City staff to work with community stakeholders to create a vision ing and feasibility plan (Plan) for a Cambodian American Cultural Center (CACC). The City Council allocated funds from the Long Beach Recovery Act Creative Economy Grants , and the Sixth District Council Office allocated Divide-by- Nine funds to support the feasibility phase, during which community outreach was conducted and a proposed Plan was prepared to determine options for future development of the CACC. The proposed Plan will be used as a basis to develop t he facilities, management, and programming of the CACC.

In May 2022, the City of Long Beach (City) initiated the community visioning process for a CACC that will serve as a future hub for Cambodian/Khmer American arts, culture, and history. This visioning process was informed through facilitated input collected by the consultant team of City Fabrick, United Cambodian Community, and Lord Cultural Resources. City Fabrick was responsible for leading the consultant team, des igning and supporting engagement activities, analyzing feedback, and applying vi sioning and feasibility analysis to physically locate and conceptualize the CACC. United Cambodian Community led community outreach, including facilitating community engagement, organizing community organizations and partners, and contextualizing the community voice. Lord Cultural Services provided education about the requirements for operating a cultural center and developed a feasibility plan based on feedback received as part of the engagement process.

Community Engagement Process Overview
The visioning process for the Plan was primarily informed through public input and facilitation using contextualized strategies of community engagement. From June 2022 through March 2023, engagement strategies included four steering committee meetings, a public survey, a youth survey, community roundtables, and community events.

R-17

HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
May 9, 2023

As a result of this outreach, a visioning and feasibility study and recommendations were developed that provide guidance for future phases of development, operation, and programming.

Over 638 individuals participated in the community engagement process. A summary of the diverse perspectives of community members is presented below:

Event Goals Time Frame
Steering Committee
Meeting #1
Kick-off, identify stakeholders, create shared values,
review process, draft survey content and outreach plan
June 2022
Cambodian American
Cultural Center
Informational and Launch
Event
Learn more about the CACC visioning process and
provide feedback through the CACC public survey
August 2022
Public Survey Provide general input and feedback about the CACC visioning process
August 2022-
October 2022
Steering Committee
Meeting #2
Debrief survey results, develop workshop activities,
review context and existing conditions
September 2022
Steering Committee
Meeting #3
Debrief workshop results, map cultural assets, review
case studies and best practices
November 2022
Community Small Groups Discuss the gaps in information found as a result of the public survey. In addition to including CACC committee
members, the community small groups centered on five
stakeholder groups: high school and college-aged
youth, parents with young children, older adults, faith- based leaders, and diversity, equity, and inclusion
leaders
December 2022
Public Community Forum Provide updates about the CACC visioning process and join in on small group discussions similar to those of the targeted small groups.

December 2022
Youth Survey Gather youth input and feedback about the CACC visioning process
December 2022
Steering Committee
Meeting #4
Debrief engagement findings, review feasibility study,
prepare draft report
March 2023

All Steering Committee documents can be found at
https://longbeach.gov/iteam/priorities/cambodian-american-cultural-center/.

Feasibility Study Overview

Lord Cultural Resources provided a Feasibility Study for operating expenses and revenue during the first five years of operations after the opening of the C ACC. Projections were based on realistic and conservative assumptions; benchmarks and comparable information that can be applied to the present case; communit y consultations ; and analysis of the local market, demographic statistics, and future projections.

Based on the community feedback, Lord Cultural Resources developed a feasibility study that projects that by Year 5 ( anticipated full implementation ), the Cambodian American Cultural Center (CACC) will:

• Encompass 27,500 gross square feet (19,600 net square feet)

HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
May 9, 2023

• Be visited by approximately 30,000 people per year
• Have an annual operating budget of approximately $1,000,000 • Operate with 6 FTEs (Full-Time Equivalent Staff), supplemented by 4 contractors (ex: janitorial and security)
• Be able to cover 25 percent of its operating costs through earned revenue sources • Require a pproximately $750,000 yearly to break even on operations, which is anticipated to need to come from a variety of sources , including: government contributions, corporate contributions, donations, sponsorships, and grants.

Recommendations Summary
• Create the CACC nonprofit.
• Advise coordination and support from the City, including several City Departments, to help develop and establish the CACC.
• Form different committees or working groups, composed of both existing and new Steering Committee members based on their respective expertise and capacities, to lead the development of the CACC.
• Consistently host culturally relevant events and programs to continue the momentum of the CACC until and after development occurs. • Implement memberships, fundraising events, and venue rentals, in addition to other funding mechanisms identified as part of the feasibility study, in order to help cover operation costs and programming.
• The CACC should ideally be located in the Cambodia Town neighborhood, ideally within proximity to other cultural institutions such as MacArthur Park, Mar k Twain Library, and the Killing Fields Memorial along Anaheim Street. A second ary potential location could be outside of Cambodia Town depending on financial feasibility and development opportunities.
• Given the limited availability and high cost of land, the CACC should consider a joint-use development opportunity with other culturally significant community - based organizations, civic uses, or mixed-use housing development. • The CACC shall be designed to accommodate various modes of transportation and incorporate ADA accessibility.
• The interior and exterior spaces of the C ACC should be flexible to allow for a variety of programs that the community has expressed interest in. • The exterior design of the C ACC shall serve as a physical landmark for the community, having architectural cultural significance with design elements that are contextually and culturally appropriate to the surrounding built environment. • Create a gift and souvenir shop that sells authentic Khmer items and locally -sold wares created by Cambodian and Cambodian American artists and craftsmen.

HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
May 9, 2023

• Foster cultural preservation and learning through rotating and permanent exhibits and programs.
• Develop and strengthen partnerships with local and relevant entities and organizations to lead or co-host programming.
• Celebrate the achievements and adversities of Cambodian history, fostering pride in Khmer heritage, by focusing on and raising awareness of: [1] Khmer American refugee experience and transitioning to life in America; [2] Narratives out side of solely the Khmer Rouge and the Golden Age; [3] The strengths of the Cambodian American community
• Highlight the various religious beliefs, traditions, etiquette, ethics, and healing practices of Cambodian culture, reflecting traditional Khmer/Buddhist values such as respect and family-centeredness by working closely with temples that often host Khmer celebrations.
• Create a space for community economic development so as to improve the City ’s local economy.
• Use inclusive and relevant languages and messaging when creating educational or informational materials and signage with the public.

This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Sudhir N. Lay on April 17, 2023, and by Revenue Management Officer on April 21, 2023.

TIMING CONSIDERATIONS

City Council action on this item is not time critical.

FISCAL IMPACT

If City Council adopts the Proposed Cambodian American Cultural Center Vision and Feasibility Plan and directs the City Manager to implement the recommendation and implementation measures within, it is anticipated to require a substantial investment of City resources, including a significant staffing impact beyond the normal budgeted scope of duties. The departments responsible for elements within the Plan would return to the City Council for approval and request appropriation for items which are currently not budgeted as resources become available over the next several years. Offsets for implementing the Plan have not been identified and may require the use of one -time sources and structural funding in future years. The recommendation to receive and file the Proposed Cambodian American Cultural Center Vision and Feasibility Plan has no fiscal or local job impact. This recommendation has no staffing impact beyond the normal budgeted scope of duties and is consistent with City Council priorities.

HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
May 9, 2023

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Approve recommendation.

Respectfully submitted,

THOMAS B. MODICA

CITY MANAGER

Attachment – Cambodian American Cultural Center of Long Beach – Vision Plan

Cambodian
American
Cultural
Center of
Long Beach
Vision Plan
May 2023
Acknowledgments

CITY OF LONG BEACH
Sudhir Lay
Deputy City Attorney
Christopher Koontz
Director of Development Services
Catherine Nguyen
Capital Projects Program Manager
DeMario Johnson
Budget Analyst
Elise Roberts
Planning Analyst
Brent Dennis
Director of Parks,
Recreation and Marine
Johnathan Garcia
Strategic Communications Specialist
Meghan Weeks
Technology Engagement and
Support Bureau Manager
Dennis Hunter
Production Manager, LBTV
Tony Resendez
Project Management Officer
Katy Nomura
Deputy City Manager
Meredith Reynolds
Deputy City Manager
Monique Kosal
Administrative Analyst
Nareth Muong
Khmer Language Access Specialist
Sydney Thompson
Management Assistant

LORD CULTURAL RESOURCES
Kathleen Brown
Vice President
Tasha W. Hunter
Associate Consultant and Thought Leader

UNITED CAMBODIAN COMMUNITY
Susana Sngiem
Executive Director
Pearun Tieng
Community Health Worker
Sereyrotha Dip
Program Manager
Don Pin
Business Navigator

CITY FABRICK
Brian Ulaszewski
Principal + Executive Director
Hannah Moon
Urban Designer
Alexander Jung
Director - Urban Design + Planning
Cassidy Hart
Graphic Designer
COUNCIL DISTRICT 6
Dr. Suely Saro
Councilwoman
Annie Chean
Policy and Public Engagement Manager
Chork Nim
Chief of Staff
We would like to acknowledge members of the Community Steering & Honorary Committees who volunteered their time to guide this effort.

Executive Summary
CHAPTER 1
Introduction

1.1 Background

1.2 Partners & Roles
CHAPTER 2
Existing Conditions

2.1 Overview

2.2 Relevant Plans & Policies

2.3 Contextual Analysis
CHAPTER 3
Community Voice

3.1 Engagement Process

3.2 Steering & Advisory Committees

3.3 Launch Event

3.4 Public Survey

3.5 Community Small Groups

3.6 Community Forum

3.7 Youth Survey

3.8 Additional Engagement

3.9 Cultural Asset Mapping
CHAPTER 4
Feasibility Study

4.1 Case Studies & Comparables

4.2 Best Practice Research and Market Analyses

4.3 Order of Magnitude Capital Cost Estimates for Development

4.4 Operating Revenue and Expense Projections

4.5 Assumptions Report Presentation
CHAPTER 5
Recommendations and Implementation Measures

5.1 Organization

5.2 Development

5.3 Programming

1 3
20 32
49 Executive
Summary
The Cambodian American Cultural Center of Long Beach Vision Plan represents years of hard work, dedication, and advocacy to envision a hub of community for Cambodian Americans and beyond. This Plan is the first of many phases in creating the Cambo- dian American Cultural Center and establishes an operating vision and feasibility plan, from which the facilities, management, and programming will be developed. The success of the Cambodian American Cultural Center will ultimately be the result of continued momentum and support from the general public, cultural leaders, philanthropic partners, City staff, and elected officials.

This Plan is divided into five main chapters, all of which center around Chapter 3: Community Voice. The visioning process for the Plan was primarily informed through public input and facilita- tion using contextualized strategies of community engagement.

From June 2022 through March 2023, engagement strategies included four steering and honorary meetings, a public survey, youth survey, community roundtables, and community events.

As a result of this outreach, a financial feasibility study and recom- mendations were developed that provide guidance for future phases of development, operation, and programming.

A summary of the diverse perspectives of community members is presented below:

ENGAGEMENT SUMMARY:
638
Total Participants
Over

EVENT DATE
Steering Committee Meeting #1 June 2022
Launch Event August 2022
Public Survey August - October 2022
Steering Committee Meeting #2 September 2022
Steering Committee Meeting #3 November 2022
Community Small Groups December 2022
Public Community Forum December 2022
Youth Survey December 2022
Steering Committee Meeting #4 March 2023
Executive
Summary

RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY

5.1.1) Creation of the Cambodian American Cultural Center nonprofit.

5.1.2) Advisory support and coordination from the City of Long Beach, including several City Departments, to help develop and establish a Cambodian American Cultural Center in Cambodia Town.

5.1.3) Formation of different committees or working groups, composed of both existing and new Steering Committee members based on their respective expertise and capacities, to lead the development of the Cambodian American Cultural Center.

5.1.4) Continue to consistently host culturally relevant events and programs to continue the momentum of the Cambodian American Cultural Center until and after development occurs.

5.1.5) Implement memberships, fundraising events, and venue rentals, in addition to other funding mechanisms identified as part of the feasibility study, in order to help cover operation costs and programming.

5.1.6) Continued communication with Steering Committee and community members

5.1.7) Creation of website and social media accounts dedicated to the Cambodian American Cultural Center

5.2.1) The Cambodian American Cultural Center should ideally be located in the Cambodia Town neighborhood, preferably within proximity to other cultural institutions such as MacArthur Park, Mark Twain Library, and the Killing Fields Memorial along Anaheim Street. A second option would be a location outside of Cambodia Town given financial feasibility and development opportunities.

5.2.2) Given the limited availability and high cost of land, the Cambodian American Cultural Center may be considered a joint- use development opportunity with other culturally significant community-based organizations, civic uses, or mixed-use housing development.

Below are key recommendations that have been informed through the community engagement process:

Executive
Summary
RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY [CONTINUED]

5.2.3) The Cambodian American Cultural Center shall be
designed to accommodate various modes of transportation, and incorporate ADA accessibility.

5.2.4) The interior and exterior spaces of the Cambodian American Cultural Center should be flexible to allow for a variety of programs that the community has expressed interest in.

5.2.5) The exterior design of the Cambodian American Cultural Center shall serve as a physical landmark for the community, having architectural significance with design elements that are contextually and culturally appropriate to the surrounding built environment.

5.2.6) Create a gift and souvenir shop that sells authentic Khmer items and locally-sold wares created by Cambodian and Cambodian American artists and craftsmen.

5.3.1) Foster cultural preservation and learning through rotating and permanent exhibits and programs.

5.3.2) Develop and strengthen partnerships with local and relevant entities and organizations to lead or co-host programming.

5.3.3) Celebrate the achievements and adversities of Cambodian history, fostering pride in Khmer heritage, by focusing on and raising awareness of the following within and outside the City of Long Beach: [1] Khmer American refugee experience and transitioning to life in America; [2] Narratives outside of solely the Khmer Rouge and the Golden Age; [3] The strengths and achievements of the Cambodian American community

5.3.4) Highlight the various religious beliefs, traditions, etiquette, ethics, and healing practices of Cambodian culture, reflecting traditional Khmer/Buddhist values such as respect and family-centeredness by working closely with temples that often host Khmer celebrations.

If you would like to stay informed about the development of the Cambo- dian American Cultural Center, please email: [email protected] You can also visit: https://longbeach.gov/iteam/priorities/cambodi - an-american-cultural-center
Thank you for reading!

In mid-2022, the City of Long Beach
initiated the community visioning process
for a Cambodian American Cultural Center
that will serve as a future hub
for Cambodian/Khmer American
arts, culture, and history.

Introduction

1.1 BACKGROUND
In September 2021, the Long Beach City Council directed City staff to work with community stakeholders to create a vision and a feasibility plan for a Cambo- dian American Cultural Center [CACC]. The Long Beach City Council allocated funds to support the first phase of the development of this Cultural Center, which is to conduct community outreach and prepare a feasibility plan, from which the facilities, management, and programming of this Cultural Center will be developed. In mid-2022, the City of Long Beach initiated the community visioning process for a CACC that will serve as a future hub for Cambodian/ Khmer American arts, culture, and history. This visioning and feasibility plan for a Long Beach CACC follows similar City-led efforts such as the African American and Latino Cultural Centers that emphasized the importance of public engage- ment as an essential piece in the creation of a collective community vision.

1.2 PARTNERS & ROLES
This visioning process was informed
through facilitated input collected by
the consultant team of City Fabrick,
United Cambodian Community,
and Lord Cultural Resources. Lord
Cultural Services also provided
education about the requirements
for operating a cultural center and
developed a feasibility plan based
on feedback received as part of the
engagement process.

The following partners and their roles
are listed below:

City of Long Beach
In order to ensure interdepartmental
coordination, the City of Long Beach
team was composed of staff from
the City Manager’s Office, Economic
Development Department, Develop -
ment Services Department, Parks,
Recreation and Marine Department,
and the City Attorney’s Office. The
Department of Parks, Recreation and
Marine and the City Attorney’s Office
managed the consultant contract and
led the planning and organizing of the
community engagement and public
relations effort with the consultants.

The City staff team was responsible
for establishing and managing the
Community Steering and Honorary
Committees, providing guidance
and direction on consultant strategy
and materials, reviewing consultant
materials in a timely manner, prepar-
ing staff reports for public meetings,
and briefing City Councilmembers
and the Mayor.

Community Steering &
Honorary Committee
Made up of community organizations
and leaders largely recommended by
the Sixth District Council Office, this
group convened several times over a
nine-month period to provide guid -
ance on the community engagement
process, communicate key messages
to their networks increase engage -
ment, review and provide feedback
on drafted materials, and be cham -
pions for the effort by supporting the
work of City staff and consultants at
City Council and other public meet -
ings and community events.

Council District 6
The scope of work will take place largely
within the community located in Long
Beach’s Sixth District. The Office of
Councilmember Dr. Suely Saro, who
represents the Sixth District, provided
recommendations for a commu -
nity steering committee to guide the
work, chose to participate in various
community engagement sessions,
and provided periodic briefings on the
progress of this project. The Office also
supported the City staff with estab -
lishing and managing the Community
Steering and Honorary Committee.

City Fabrick
A Long Beach nonprofit organization
frequently collaborating with vari -
ous City of Long Beach departments
and community partners in Central
Long Beach on a range of planning,
policy, and design initiatives. As the
prime consultant, City Fabrick served
as a neutral party that was responsi -
ble for leading the consultant team,
designing and supporting engage -
ment activities, analyzing feedback,
and applying visioning and feasibil -
ity analysis to physically locate and
conceptualize the Cultural Center.

United Cambodian
Community [UCC]
A Long Beach nonprofit organization
that seeks to elevate Long Beach’s
Cambodian community through
local engagement and leadership that
embodies Cambodian cultural values.

As the lead community partner, UCC
was responsible for convening the
Cultural Center steering committee,
leading community outreach, trans -
lation, engagement facilitation, orga -
nizing community organizations and
partners, and contextualizing the
community voice.

Lord Cultural Resources
Lord Cultural Resources is the global
practice leader in cultural sector plan-
ning. Since 1981, they have helped
to create, plan, and operate cultural
spaces and places in more than 460
cities, in 57 countries, and on six
continents. Lord Cultural Resources
supported the engagement and
education process as well as led the
feasibility study for the Cambodian
American Cultural Center.

INTRODUCTION | 2

Existing
Conditions

2.1 OVERVIEW
History gives us the foundation to
understand past events and patterns
that have shaped our present time,
and provides a crucial perspective
for understanding and shaping the
future. History is non-linear, and there
are many sides to a story that must
be considered, especially when plan-
ning a cultural center for Cambodian
Americans. When investigating this
local history, we found that much of
the existing literature that publicly
exists was not written and captured
by Cambodian Americans themselves
and many personal narratives have
been lost. With our limited documen-
tation of the past and current capac -
ity, we present an overview of this
history, with the caveat that future
engagement with Cambodian leaders
is needed to better understand Long
Beach Cambodian American history.

What we understand of the history
of Cambodians in Long Beach can be
traced back as early as the 1950s and
1960s, when Cambodian students
attended CSULB as part of an
1 Susan Needham and Karen Quintiliani, Cambodians in Long Beach (Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2008), 14-15. exchange program. The majority of
Cambodian students in Long Beach
between 1962 and 1964 were men,
and most studied engineering or agri-
culture. By the mid-1960s, a group of
over 100 Cambodians, who partic -
ipated in a U.S. Agency for Interna -
tional Development program to learn
engineering and agriculture, was
the largest single group of foreign
exchange students at CSULB. These
exchange students were specifically
recruited via the federally-sponsored
program that partnered with CSULB
and were typically from families of
urban professionals, government offi-
cials, and diplomats. The first Khmer
Students Association in the country
was formed in 1959.1
In 1953, Cambodia became an inde -
pendent nation after 90 years under
French Protectorate rule. In the ensu-
ing decades, the arts flourished and
served as a means to articulate a new
nationalist identity. Developments
were made in Cambodian dance,
music, performing arts, visual arts,
and architecture. Cambodian dance,
What we understand
of the history of
Cambodians in
Long Beach can be
traced back
as early as the
1950s and 1960s,
when Cambodian
students attended
CSULB as part of an
exchange program.

EXISTING CONDITIONS | 3
EXISTING CONDITIONS | 4
music, and theater, which are interre-
lated and closely linked with Cambo -
dian royalty and history, thrived until
the end of the 1960s.2
Although Cambodia remained neutral
in the Vietnam War, in the 1960s, the
Vietcong army set up bases there
because of the country’s proximity
to Vietnam. As a result, beginning in
1969, American military forces heav -
ily bombed Cambodia. Between 1970
and 1975, the communist Khmer
Rouge gradually gained control over
Cambodia. Within days of the Khmer
Rouge entering Phnom Penh, cities
were evacuated and destroyed,
money and property were deemed
worthless, and thousands of people
were executed in what became known
as “the Killing Fields.” Under the lead-
ership of Pol Pot and the Khmer
Rouge, 1.6 to 3 million Cambodians
[approximately 16 to 30 percent of
the population] died from disease,
malnutrition, overwork, and execu -
tion over the next four years. Most
cultural institutions were destroyed.
2 Nelson, Roger. Cambodian Modernism, Routledge Encyclopedia of Modernism, 2016, accessed at https://www.rem.routledge.com/articles/cambodian-modernism. 3 City of Long Beach, Historic Context Statement: Suburbanization and Race, 2022, 135-136. 4 California State University Long Beach, Cambodian Life Histories, https://csulb-dspace.calstate.edu/handle/10211.3/206708 (accessed March 6, 2023).

City of Long Beach, Historic Context Statement: Suburbanization and Race, 136-137.5 6 City of Long Beach, Historic Context Statement: Suburbanization and Race, 136. 7 Archbold, Rich. “Kry Lay, a founding father of Cambodian assimilation in Long Beach, dies at 79.” Long Beach Press-Telegram, July 8, 2021, https://www.presstelegram.com/2021/07/08/kry-lay- a-founding-father-of-cambodian-assimilation-in-long-beach-dies-at-79 (accessed March 6, 2023). 8 ibid.

When the Vietnamese army entered
Cambodia in 1979, many Cambodi -
ans fled the country, many to refugee
camps in Thailand. More than 150,000
refugees later relocated to the United
States. Those refugees still bear the
lasting impacts of loss and trauma
from their experiences. 3
From 1975 to 1979, the War in South-
east Asia and the Khmer Rouge in
Cambodia drove many Cambodians
to migrate to Long Beach in hopes of
finding an opportunity to rebuild their
lives and community. The first wave
of migrants included about 4,600
Cambodians who were either mili -
tary personnel, people working in the
United States embassy in Cambodia,
or people caught outside Cambodia
while studying abroad, doing busi -
ness, or on military duty before the
Khmer Rouge takeover. These evacu-
ees went to Camp Pendleton and Fort
Chaffee. The second and larger wave
of evacuees included about 159,000
Cambodian refugees who migrated
in the 1980s; these refugees were
predominantly farmers from small
villages. 4
At a local and national scale, commu-
nity organizing called for refugee
entry, which eventually led to the
legislative passage of both the Indo -
china Migration and Refugee Assis -
tance Act of 1975 and the Refugee Act
of 1980. These laws were important in
helping Cambodian refugees migrate
to and settle in Long Beach.5
In 1975, with the fall of Cambodia to
the Khmer Rouge, Ell Sean, a Cambo-
dian graduate of CSULB, began to help
refugees arriving at Camp Pendleton
resettle in Long Beach. Soon the City
had hundreds of Cambodian Ameri -
can residents, who in turn, attracted
their friends and family to the area. 6
Another prominent figure in the devel-
opment of the Cambodian community
in Long Beach was Kry Lay [1941-2021].

Lay was influential in establishing the
Cambodian Association of America
[CAA], the first social services organi-
zation in the country to offer services
to support the large influx of refugees
from Cambodia. 7 Lay co-founded Wat
Vipassanaram, the City’s first Cambo-
dian Buddhist temple, and acted as its
president for 10 years. Lay also played
a major role in developing and imple-
menting the South East Asian Learn -
ers Program, the Long Beach Unified
School District’s first bilingual Khmer/
English language education program,
which helped assimilate the thou -
sands of students who entered the
City through refugee migration. 8 He
From 1975 to 1979, the War in Southeast Asia,
the Khmer Rouge, and Killing Fields in Cam-
bodia forced many Cambodians to migrate to
Long Beach in hopes to find an opportunity to
rebuild their lives and community.

EXISTING CONDITIONS | 5
consulted with the school district for
over 24 years.9
Although many successfully fled from
Cambodia and resettled in America
with a home, the violence and
genocide left an everlasting impact
on the Cambodian community.

This scar includes trauma in the
form of post-traumatic stress
disorder [PTSD], intergenerational
trauma, and accumulated stress
— Cambodian refugees have a
PTSD rate of 62 percent. 10 These
mental health impacts still affect
the Cambodian community in Long
Beach and nationwide. Despite these
challenges, Cambodians in Long
Beach continuously worked to rebuild
their culture, family, and community.
9 ibid.
10 Marshall et al., “Cambodian Refugees Suffer from Psychiatric Illness at High Rates Two Decades After Escaping Homeland Terror, ” Journal of the American Medical Association, August 2, 2005, https://jamanetwork.com/ journals/jama/fullarticle/201332 (accessed February 14, 2023). 11 City of Long Beach, Historic Context Statement: Suburbanization and Race, 137. 12 City of Long Beach, Historic Context Statement, 138.

Central Long Beach [which is collo -
quially known as the “Eastside”], a
historically disinvested community,
offered relatively affordable proper -
ties that allowed Cambodian refugees
to gather funds within their immedi -
ate and extended family as well as
the community to establish small
businesses, cultural institutions, and
homes. This collective act shaped the
local Cambodian community that not
only created Cambodian restaurants,
herbal pharmacies, doughnut shops,
auto shops, jewelry stores, grocery
stores, beauty shops, temples, service
centers, and dance studios, but also
Cambodians’ sense of belonging in
Long Beach.

A number of former CSULB exchange
students formed the Cambodian
Association of Southern California
[CASC], the oldest Cambodian mutual
aid society in the United States, in
response to the first wave of refugees.

CASC was incorporated on December
29, 1975, and renamed the Cambo -
dian Association of America [CAA]. Lu
Lay Sreng, a graduate of CSULB, was a
spokesman for the CAA. Cambodian
American residents of Long Beach
were reportedly active in the Cambo-
dian Association of America, and in
1976, the organization’s first national
conference was held in Long Beach.

The aforementioned Kry Lay was
the longest-serving chairman of the
Cambodian Association of America;
he held the post for 37 years.11
In 1977, the leaders of the Los Ange -
les-based CAA formed a second
service organization known as the
United Cambodian Community [UCC].

The UCC had a storefront in Long
Beach, located at 2338 E. Anaheim
Street, Suite 200. Both the CAA and
the UCC “became national models
for the development and implemen -
tation of job training, literacy skills,
health, and other social adjustment
programs for refugees.”12
The majority of Cambodian refugees
arriving in Long Beach practiced Ther-
avada Buddhism, a form of Buddhism
practiced by 98 percent of the popula-
tion in Cambodia. Initially, some joined
the Long Beach Buddhist Church, a
Central Long Beach
[Eastside], a historically
disinvested community,
offered relatively
affordable properties
that allowed
Cambodian refugees
to gather funds within
their immediate and
extended family
as well as community
to establish
small businesses,
cultural institutions,
and homes.

EXISTING CONDITIONS | 6
non-sectarian Buddhist temple [2360
Santa Fe Avenue, extant]. Reverend
Roy Ryuscho Kokuzo invited members
of the Cambodian community to
attend his services, but also to use the
temple as a gathering place for reli -
gious services of their own. In 1979,
members of the Long Beach commu-
nity sponsored the Venerable Dr. Kong
Chhean to come to the United States.

Venerable Dr. Chhean had been study-
ing in India when Cambodia fell to
the Khmer Rouge. Initially, he estab -
lished a small temple in an apartment
in nearby Hawaiian Gardens. The first
Cambodian Buddhist temple in Long
Beach, Wat Vipassanaram, was estab-
lished in 1985.13 The establishment of
a Buddhist temple was vital for the
mental health of all Cambodians, and
especially for those who lived through
the Khmer Rouge.14
Cambodian culture centers on the
daily activities of the Buddhist temple
complex, or Wat. Traditionally, the
Wat was not only the religious center,
but also the social and educational
13 City of Long Beach, Historic Context Statement, 138. 14 Susan Needham and Karen Quintiliani, Cambodians in Long Beach, 33. 15 ibid.
16 Susan Needham and Karen Quintiliani, Cambodians in Long Beach, 37. center for the Cambodian people.

Buddhist monks are respected and
serve religious and lay people, often
including providing psychological
support. 15 Cambodian traditions
and culture are largely defined by
the religion of the people, which is
predominantly Theravada Buddhism.

Cambodians attend temples for
major celebrations, including Cambo -
dian New Year, Pchum Ben (honor -
ing ancestors), and Vesak Bochea
(commemorating the Buddha’s birth,
enlightenment, and death).

It is important to note that not all
Cambodians in Long Beach are of
Khmer ethnicity alone. It is import -
ant to acknowledge the many
mixed ethnic backgrounds, which
include Chinese, Lao, Thai, Cham,
and Vietnamese. 16
Several Christian denominations
embraced the area’s influx of Cambo-
dian refugees [ibid]. The Long Beach
Cambodian Evangelical Church of
Christian and Missionary Alliance was

CAMBODIAN

ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA [CASC]
A number of former CSULB
exchange students formed
the Cambodian Association of
Southern California [CASC], the
oldest Cambodian mutual aid
society in the U.S., in response to
the first wave of refugees. CASC
was incorporated on December 29,
1975 and renamed the Cambodian
Association of America [CAA]. Lu
Lay Sreng, a graduate of CSULB,
was a spokesman for the CAA.

Cambodian American residents
of Long Beach were reportedly
active in the Cambodian
Association of America, and in
1976, the organization’s first
national conference was held in
Long Beach. The aforementioned
Kry Lay was the longest serving
chairman of the Cambodian
Association of America; he held
the post for 37 years.

EXISTING CONDITIONS | 7
founded in 1978 by Reverend Paul
Ellison, Reverend Hay Sen San, and
Chhem Nhem [ibid]. Located at 2416
E. 11th Street [extant], it is one of the
first Cambodian Christian Churches
17 City of Long Beach, Historic Context Statement, 138-139. 18 Anna Gorman, “Cambodia Town is Now on the Map, ” Los Angeles Times, July 18, 2007. in the United States. Long Beach First
Church of the Nazarene [2280 Clark
Avenue, extant] created a “bus minis-
try” in 1979 as an outreach to the
Cambodian community [ibid]. Long
Beach Friends Church [850 Atlantic
Avenue, extant] also began a Cambo-
dian ministry in late 1979.17
With the establishment of the Cambo-
dian community, resources, and the
ongoing organizing efforts of Cambo-
dia Town Inc. and Midtown Business
Improvement District — in collabora-
tion with then-Councilmember Dee
Andrews — the East Anaheim Street
corridor was officially designated as
Cambodia Town on July 3, 2007. 18
Although the City of Long Beach offi -
cially recognizes Cambodia Town as
limited to the East Anaheim corridor,
many local residents define these
boundaries differently, on a broader
scale. About 35,000 Cambodians call
Long Beach their home which makes
the City the largest concentration of
Cambodians outside of Cambodia.

This community is not only a home
for local residents, other Cambodi -
ans around the United States come
to Long Beach during Khmer New
Year and other family or community
events. As a result, Long Beach has
become an important part of the
Cambodian American experience
and identity–evolving to be viewed as
more than just a physical place where
community exists, but also seen as
a symbol of pride and where people
find a sense of belonging.

NOTE:

This summary is based solely on
published sources, including books,
scholarly articles, and government
documents, and is missing first-
hand knowledge and experience of
members of the Long Beach Cambo -
dian community. The next phase of
engagement should include engaging
key leaders who have historic exper -
tise and knowledge to expand on
the current summary of Cambodian
history in Long Beach.

EXISTING CONDITIONS | 8

2.2 RELEVANT PLANS & POLICIES
Prior to the start of the engagement
process, the City consultant team
reviewed and summarized City
of Long Beach plans and reports
relevant to the establishment a
Cambodian American Cultural
Center. This involved support with
the City of Long Beach team to help
research adopted policies as well as
other investigations.

CAMBODIA
TOWN

THRIVES

OUR ROOTS

OUR STORY

OUR FUTURE

COMMUNITY DRAFT VISION PLAN
Cambodia Town Thrives Vision Plan
A 2022 community planning effort led by members of the Cambodia Town Thrives Collaborative to identify a community vision for Cambodia Town. Acknowledged by the American Planning Association California Chapter with the Grassroots Planning Award in 2022, the community-led effort highlights projects and policies to protect and preserve space for Cambodian American culture to thrive in Cambodia Town.

Relevant Takeaways:

Six guiding principles for equitable reinvestment in Cambodia Town:

Affordable Housing
Education and Learning
Economics and Business
Livable and Healthy Community
Community-identified, high priority development projects:

Affordable housing development with community services
Youth educational center with social enterprise and job training Street trees and vertical gardens
Community-identified, high priority policy recommendations:

Support community efforts to grow existing and develop new cultural programs, events, signage, festivals, and art to uplift the distinct characteristics of Cambodia Town.

Enable inclusive community ownership of creative space as well as provide additional, affordable, and accessible studio spaces for people to meet up, organize, and heal.

Involve local youth in the creative planning for cultural preservation while also giving value, weight, and power to their perspectives.

Hold healing circles and peacekeeping spaces within our community to address past historical and current traumas.

Work with community organizations, residents, and youth on developing multi-ethnic historical and community knowledge to cultivate a physical and social space for cross-solidarity learning [after-school programs, language exchange, childhood education, financial education/literacy, mental health services, community gardens, etc.].

Safety and Security
Culture and Art
Civic commons
Outdoor multicultural center
Mural mile with sidewalk art
Zone In: City Core
As a joint effort between the City of Long Beach and the Long Beach community, this 2022-23 project involves updating zoning regulations in the Central Long Beach area roughly bounded by Pacific Coast Highway, 10th Street, Magnolia and Ximeno Avenues. The Zone In: City Core project aims to support the development of new housing and a greater mix of uses particularly along commercial corridors in the area, including Anaheim Street and Pacific Coast Highway. The plan creates a more “complete” community where residents, businesses, jobs, and shopping are located near each other with a more pedestrian-friendly design. The plan’s equity-based framework is focused on both changes to zoning and land use regulations, as well as changes to the planning process itself to build community capacity.

Relevant Takeaways:

Cultural and youth educational centers were identified as a top priority for the Cambodia Town community, and given the limited availability of land, mixed-use developments were identified as opportunity sites for these cultural and youth centers on the ground floor.

While parking was identified as an important issue in Cambodia Town, residents were generally supportive of alternative parking solutions such as shared parking, parking structures, and active transportation improvements.

City of Long Beach
Framework for Reconciliation
On June 9, 2020, the Long Beach City Council engaged in an earnest conversation about racism as a public health crisis, the need to restore public trust in City government, and how to reconcile a gap in the experiences of impacted and vulnerable people with current City policies. The City Council called upon City staff to prepare a report that would put the City Council in a position to enact culture and systems change. This report presents goals and actions relevant to the engagement effort.

Relevant Takeaways:

The Cambodian American Cultural Center planning team has an opportunity to leverage this framework to uplift Black voices, and other historically marginalized groups, in the planning and engagement process of the Cambodian American Cultural Center.

Homeownership rates for Cambodian residents are only
24% [2016], and ongoing development pressures could result in greater housing instability and residential displacement.

Consideration has to be taken where CACC does not result in increased displacement, and instead, serve as a symbol of permanence for the Cambodian community.

NN OO VV EE MM BB EE RR 22 0022 11 UU PP DD AATT EE Forwarding
the Sixth
LONG BEACH 6 TH DISTRICT COUNCIL OFFICE

COUNCILWOMAN SUELY SARO
Forwarding the Sixth:
6th Council District Vision Plan
In 2022, newly elected Councilwoman Suely Saro developed a community-led strategic plan for the 6th Council District Office to identify a road map of goals, projects, and poli - cies. This community-driven effort discusses the communi- ty’s vision regarding housing, transportation, open space, cultural preservation, and more.

Relevant Takeaways:

The 6th Council District Office is committed to
promoting racial solidarity and healing through a
variety of measures, such as alliance building across
schools, community institutions, and arts organizations throughout Long Beach.

The 6th Council District Office would like to celebrate diversity while building bridges through arts, culture
and education. Measures of success for this objective
include programming, festivals, and exhibitions that
promote the diversity of Long Beach residents.
element
City of Long Beach General Plan
creating vibrant and exciting places

LAND USE
DECEMBER 2019

REIMAGINING

THE CIVIC COMMONS

LONG BEACH CIVIC COMMONS
Presented by City Fabrick, Long Beach Community Foundation, and City of Long Beach For the Civic Commons Funders Network
MAY 3 2016
City of Long Beach Land Use & Urban Design Elements
The Land Use Element, updated in 2019, is a chapter within the City of Long Beach General Plan that outlines the next steps for establishing a land use vision across the City. The City of Long Beach is now updating the related zoning codes to reflect the updated Land Use and Urban Design Elements of the General Plan. The Urban Design Element [2019] lays out guidelines detailing how contributions to the built environment must build upon the City of Long Beach’s physical character and identity.

Relevant Takeaways:

The scarcity of vacant land in Long Beach means that the majority of new development in the City will likely be through reinvestment/ redevelopment/adaptive reuse.

The Land Use Element emphasizes the City’s desire to capitalize on the region’s location and strengths by investing in new educational and cultural facilities and services that residents can enjoy closer to home.

Social and cultural vitality and diversity is emphasized as a goal within the Urban Design Element. This goal consists of several strategies, such as enhancing historic resources, amenities, and structures that distinguish the character of each neighborhood.

Reimagining the Civic Commons
Reimagining the Civic Commons
was an initiative that began in 2016
with the intention to increase use
of civic assets, improve quality of
life of residents, and improve busi-
ness operations in Long Beach.

Two sites were selected as places
where Civic Commons could be
implemented based on the concen-
tration of civic assets or cultural
institutions nearby. One of the
potential civic commons proposals
include the combining of MacAr -
thur Park and Mark Twain Library,
which demonstrates an opportu -
nity to strengthen connections with
nearby assets or cultural institu -
tions through park improvements,
enhancements to various buildings,
and cultural programming.

Relevant Takeaways:

Combining MacArthur Park and the Mark Twain Library
has good potential as two adjacent City-owned properties in Cambodia Town that can host a civic commons/cultural center.

LB CAP
Long Beach
Climate Action Plan
Adopted August 2022
Long Beach Climate Action and Adaptation Plan
The City of Long Beach developed its first-ever Climate Action and Adaptation Plan [CAP], which provides a framework for creating or updating policies, programs, practices, and incentives for Long Beach residents and businesses to reduce the City’s greenhouse gas footprint, and ensure the community and physical assets are better protected from the impacts of climate change.

Relevant Takeaways:

T he development and sustainability goals outlined in the Long Beach CAP will be relevant to the future Cultural Center.

The level of applicability will be dependent on the location and the type of building utilized. CAP outlines goals for any new buildings to be low-carbon or carbon neutral. For existing buildings, the CAP advises the incorporation of cool
surfaces and green infrastructure to reduce extreme heat.

Historic Context Statement: Suburbanization & Race
The City of Long Beach recently updated its Historic Context Statement and prepared its first-ever historic context statement focused on Race and Suburbanization. These documents are important resources that will guide future planning and land use decisions and will enable those decisions to be rooted in a deeper understanding of the City’s history and evolution to help fill historical gaps within City historic preser vation documents, which currently provide very limited information about communities of color and other underrepresented communities.

S

HISTORIC CONTEXT STATEMENT:

SUBURBANIZATION & RACE

CITY OF LONG BEACH
MAY 19, 2022

FINAL ADMINISTRATIVE DRAFT
Relevant Takeaways:

Cambodian
Americans have a rich
history in Long Beach
and are an important
part of what makes
Long Beach special
and truly unique.

This history must
be preserved and
shared as part of
this visioning.

Assembly Bill 2097
California AB2097 eliminates
parking mandates in new
development within half a mile
of a major transit stop. The
parking mandates would be
eliminated for both residen -
tial, mixed-use, and commer -
cial developments with 40
units or fewer. Residential
developments, of any size,
that include affordable hous -
ing units are also eligible to
waive parking mandates.

Relevant Takeaways:

While access parking is a
priority issue, the future
development of the CACC
does not have to follow
the minimum parking
requirements previously
identified in the zoning code if
located within half a mile of a
major transit stop.

2.3 CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS
Prior to engaging with the public, the
consultant team studied the current
demographic, socioeconomic, and
urban planning context of Long Beach
to support in both the engagement
strategy and identification of potential
locations for CACC. The following maps
and key takeaways summarize these
findings:

Land Use
The City of Long Beach is moving away from old
zoning approaches that segregated land use to a new
approach called “PlaceTypes,” all of which are listed in the legend. PlaceTypes focus on the flexible, mixed
use of land and the integration of pedestrian
accessibility and other forms of mobility.

There is a scarcity of vacant land in Long Beach;
therefore, the majority of new development in the
City will be through redevelopment, joint use
development, or reinvestment.

Sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, Intermap, increment P Corp., GEBCO, USGS, FAO, NPS, NRCAN, GeoBase, IGN, Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), (c) OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community Community Commercial
Downtown
Founding & Contemporary
Neighborhoods
Industrial
Multi-Family
Residential - Low
Multi-Family
Residential - Moderate
Neo-Industrial
Neighborhood-Serving
Center/Coordidor - Low
Neighborhood-Serving
Center/Coordidor - Moderate
Regional Serving Facility
Transit-Oriented
Development - Low
Transit-Oriented
Development - Moderate
Waterfront
Open Space
0 1 2 30.5
Miles
EXISTING CONDITIONS | 15
Cambodia Town consists of several PlaceTypes ,
including the Founding and Contemporary
Neighborhoods PlaceType, Neighborhood-Serving
Center/Corridor - Moderate PlaceType, and Transit-
Oriented Development - Moderate PlaceType.

Zoning
The City is currently in the process of updating its
zoning for the City Core area, which includes parts of
Cambodia Town.

The rezoning project can impact where businesses
can be located, how much new housing can be located
in the area, and how much new parking a new busi-
ness would be required to provide.

Zoning can also impact the neighborhood’s design
including sidewalks, walkability, and more.

As part of a community-led process, the City of Long
Beach is currently updating its zoning ordinances
within Central Long Beach, and greater opportunities
for a cultural center can be created.

EXISTING CONDITIONS | 16
Data Sources: Esri, Airbus DS, USGS, NGA, NASA, CGIAR, N Robinson, NCEAS, NLS, OS, NMA, Geodatastyrelsen, Rijkswaterstaat, GSA, Geoland, FEMA, Intermap and the GIS user community, Esri, HERE, Garmin, FAO, NOAA, USGS, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community Residential
Commercial
Mixed Use
Industrial
Institutional
Park
Public Right-of-Way
Planned Development
Specific Plan
0 1 2 30.5
Miles

Transportation
Central, North, and West Long Beach are where the
highest proportions of the Cambodian population
reside, and are also areas impacted by parking in
Long Beach.

Cambodian residents living in Central Long Beach
have more access to bike facilities and bus routes
than Cambodians living in North Long Beach.

Cambodia Town residents have one of the lowest
rates of vehicle dependency throughout the entire city.

EXISTING CONDITIONS | 17
Parking Impacted Areas
Bus Routes
Bike Facilities
0 1 2 30.5
Miles

Median Income
The census tracts of Long Beach with the highest
population of Cambodian residents [570502,
570602,573201, 573202, 573300, 575201, 575202,
576302, and 576901] have significantly lower median
income levels [$0-67,000] than surrounding census
tract areas [$67,091 - 139,766].

These comparisons show the drastic income
disparities within Long Beach, and access to free
programs will be important to the development of
the Cambodian American Cultural Center.

EXISTING CONDITIONS | 18
Esri, NASA, NGA, USGS, FEMA, City of Long Beach, County of Los Angeles, California State Parks, Esri, HERE, Garmin, SafeGraph, GeoTechnologies, Inc, METI/NASA, USGS, Bureau of Land Management, EPA, NPS, USDA $0 - 40,100
$40,101 - 53,648
$53,649 - 67,090
$67,091 - 93,272
$93,273 - 139,766
Population Count
by Census Tract
0 1 2 30.5
Miles

Cambodian Population
While the Cambodian population of Long Beach
resides in neighborhoods across the city, the largest
population of Cambodian residents reside in
Central, North, and West Long Beach.

Cambodian residents residing in Central Long Beach
live in Cambodia Town or in close proximity to it.

EXISTING CONDITIONS | 19
Data Sources: City of Long Beach, County of Los Angeles, California State Parks, Esri, HERE, Garmin, SafeGraph, METI/NASA, USGS, Bureau of Land Management, EPA, NPS, USDA. 0 1 2 30.5
Miles
0 - 39
40 - 133
134 - 246
247 - 481
482 - 1212
Population Count
by Census Tract

3.1 ENGAGEMENT PROCESS
Building off of the successes
of the African American
and Latino Cultural Centers’
visioning plan, the City of
Long Beach understood the
importance of a community-
led process with the ultimate
goal of building capacity and
collective ownership over
the Cambodian American
Cultural Center.

The public engagement strategy
originally involved the development
of the CACC Steering and Honorary
Committees, the hosting of two
public community events, the
release of a public survey, cultural
asset mapping, and facilitating
small group discussions. In
response to the guidance from the
two Committees as well as gaps in
information found throughout the
process, an additional youth survey
was released and subsequent
one-on-one interviews were hosted
as a part of the outreach strategy.

It is important to note that while
public engagement was pivotal to
both the City and its consultant
teams, the community feedback
that was collected is, and will always
be, limited by time, capacity, and
scope. Continued engagement
beyond the completion of this
report is essential to having long-
term support from the Long
Beach community. The following
paragraphs present the CACC
engagement strategies that took
place between mid-2022 and
early 2023 and summarize the key
findings based on the feedback
received from the community.

It was critical that public forums,
meetings, small group discussions,
and interviews were planned
and executed with an equity-
based framework. The following
considerations were taken when
developing strategies for engaging
community members:

Historical and intergenerational
trauma and social injustices
that have created inequities in
systems, institutions, policies,
and practices.

Current gaps in service
provision, access, and
decision-making power faced
by marginalized communities.

Groups that may be more
difficult to reach and
strategies to overcome
specific barriers.

Strategies to create an equitable
community engagement process
included the development of
a Steering Committee and an
Honorary Committee, hosting
forums at community-friendly
spaces, coordinating efforts with
community-based organizations,
small group discussions and
interviews with hard-to-reach
populations, and providing
translation/interpretation services,
opportunity drawings, and
culturally appropriate meals.

Community Voice
PHASE 1:

Concept/Needs
Assessment
PHASE 2:

Development
Plan
PHASE 3:

Capital Cost a nd
Projections
Project initiation
Contextual Analysis
Community Engagement
Visioning Workshop
Best Practice Research
and Market Analyses
Community Engagement
Outcomes
Assumptions
Development
Operating Revenue
and Expense Projections
Order of Magnitude
Capital Cost Estimate
Draft and Final Reports

3.2 STEERING &

HONORARY COMMITTEES
The City and consultant teams created a governance structure of steering and honorary teams to ensure leadership, accountability, and stewardship throughout the visioning process. The steering and honorary teams were made up of key stakeholders including organizational leaders and community leaders, comprising a total of 31 steering committee members and 15 honorary committee members, all of whom volunteered their own time to participate. Committee members consisted of community leaders, nonprofits, academics, and representatives of elected officials. Both teams guided the community engagement process, developed shared values, prioritized recommendations, reviewed the community data analysis, conducted community outreach, and co-facilitated small groups. The relationships built as part of these Committees also led to informal gatherings where members were invited to discuss partnership opportunities beyond the CACC. The advisory team met in person four times from June of 2022 to February of 2023.

CACC Committees Roles & Responsibilities:

Play an active role in the visioning process by attending and participating in all CACC Committee meetings.

Participate in additional special meetings and public events, as requested.

Receive updates from the Community Engagement consultant and educational material from the Cultural Planning consultant.

Members may be expected to read written materials sent in advance of meetings.

Collaborate with other committee members to generate a
community generated operating vision for the Cultural Center.

Gather input from community members and stakeholders
to share in Steering Committee meetings.

CACC Committee
Representative Organizations
Community Steering Committee
Arts Council for Long Beach
Cambodia Town, Inc.

Cambodian Association
of America
Khmer Parents Association
United Cambodian Community
Khmer Girls in Action
Khmer Arts Academy
/ Modern Apsara Company
Khmer Alumni Association
Apsara Healing & Wellness, Inc.

PAL id studio, Inc.

Battambong BBQ
Asian Empowerment Associatio n
Los Angeles County Cambodian
Employees Association
Cambodian American
Community Activist
Cambodian Culture
and Art Association
Khemara  Buddhikaram Temple
Cambodia Town Film Festival
CAM-Scholar Volunteer Team
CSULB and Wilson High School
Honorary Committee
California State University
Long Beach
Long Beach Public Library
California Senate
California Assembly
Long Beach City Council
California State University
Dominguez Hills
Long Beach Community College
Port of Long Beach
Pacific Asian Counseling Services

EVENT GOALS TIME FRAME
Meeting #1
Kick-off, stakeholder identification,
create shared values, review process,
draft survey content and outreach
June 2022
Meeting #2
Debrief survey results, develop
workshop activities, review context
and existing conditions
September 2022
Meeting #3
Debrief workshop results, cultural
asset mapping, review case studies
and best practices
November 2022
Meeting #4
Debrief engagement findings,
review feasibility study, prepare
for draft report
March 2023

C ACC
Shared
Values
Adaptable
Language
Richness
Value
Tradition
Learning
Culture
Education
Spirituality
Culture
Dignity
Dance
Resourceful
Color
Identity
Performing
Arts
Warrior
Unity
Vibrancy
Family
Honor
Arts
Respect
Preserve
Friendship
Lotus
Food
Blending
Culture
Soul &
Spirit
Resilience
State-of-Mind
Love
Strengthen
At-risk
Community
Empowerment
Krama
Powerful
Love
Curiosity
History

3.3 LAUNCH EVENT
To begin the public outreach process,
the United Cambodian Community and
the City of Long Beach co-hosted the
“Cambodian American Cultural Center
Informational and Launch Event” on
Saturday, August 20, 2022, from 10 am
to 2 pm at Douglas MacArthur Park
in Cambodia Town. The community
informational launch event included
cultural performances, free food,
music, and resource tables. Community
members were encouraged to attend
this public event through social media,
news articles, and flyers distributed
by the City and the CACC Committee
members in Khmer, Spanish, and
English. Public participants had the
opportunity to learn more about
the CACC visioning process and
provide feedback through the CACC
public survey. Additionally, multiple
presentation boards were created that
presented the public survey questions
in a digestible manner, and participants
provided their feedback using sticker
dots to vote for their preferred answers.

In total, over 200 survey participants
responded on the presentation boards,
which were combined with the overall
public survey results summarized in
the next section of this report. Beyond
data collection, this launch event was
a significant community development
accomplishment as it brought out the
community following the social isolation
of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are working
with community
members to ensure
that our Cambodian
American Cultural
Center will honor
their history and
contributions to our
city and be a place
for learning, healing
and gathering
for generations
to come”

FORMER MAYOR

ROBERT GARCIA
“I am thrilled that the visioning process for
the Cambodian American Cultural Center
will be launched. I am so proud of all the
incredible work conducted and excited
for the upcoming kickoff event. It will not
only be to seek input, but also to bring
the community together and have fun.”

COUNCILWOMAN SUELY SARO

3.4 PUBLIC SURVEY
The CACC public survey was released two weeks
prior to the CACC Informational and Launch Event as
both a print and online survey in multiple languages,
including Khmer. The public survey was written in a
manner that was short, easily understandable, and
able to be easily translated. The primary audience
of this public survey was Long Beach residents and
members of the Cambodian American community of
varying levels of capacity and interest in CACC. The
online surveys were disseminated through CACC
Committee members’ social media platforms and
newsletters. Print versions of the translated survey
were also shared via UCC and the CACC Committee
members at multiple public events and meetings,
and as intercept surveys. The public was incentivized
to take the online and print versions of the survey
through a $25 gift card opportunity drawing.

TOTAL RESPONSES
360
Top 5 Historical / Important Cambodian People
Top 5 Historical/Important
Events/Holidays/Ceremonies
Top 5 Historical / Important Buildings / Locations
Plan for an inclusive space that
recognizes the racial and ethnic diver-
sity within the Cambodian community
and broader Long Beach community
Address the generational divide in
the Cambodian community, validating
the younger generation’s experiences
in culture
Create a space that fosters cultural
preservation and learning
Celebrate the achievements and
adversities of Cambodian history
Nurture healing, continue to grow
joy, and focus on the strengths of the
Cambodian American community
Highlight the various religious
beliefs, traditions, and healing
practices of Cambodian culture
Consider flexible spaces where
multiple programs can take place
[cultural, educational, and creative]
Key Themes

3.5 COMMUNITY SMALL GROUPS
With guidance from the CACC
Committees, small groups were
formed to discuss the gaps in infor-
mation found as a result of the
public survey. These small groups
took place in mutually safe spaces
and accommodated the access
and language needs of the partic -
ipants. It was important that the
groups remained small enough
that each participant felt comfort -
able speaking up and sharing.

Each group had at least one facili -
tator and notetaker to prompt the
discussions. The CACC team and
Committee members reached out
to their networks to identify poten-
tial participants for each group. The
following small groups were hosted
in late 2022:
• Parents with Young Children
• Older Adults
• Faith-Based Leaders
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• CACC Committee Members
It was discussed that while, based
on the public survey respondents,
it was important to engage those
under the age of 24, an online
survey with an incentive would be
a more efficient strategy to gain
a broader understanding of the
youths’ perspectives. Individuals
of multiple faiths within the
Cambodian community were
invited to participate in the faith-
based leaders group, but most
of the participants who attended
were Buddhists. Participants of
the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
small group consisted of members
of the African American Cultural
Center, Latino Cultural Center,
and LGBTQ Center. The following
themes emerged from each of the
following groups
Key Themes
All Groups
While the CACC should welcome
all, it should specifically serve
Cambodian American youth
Offer opportunities to learn
about and be immersed in
Khmer culture through classes
[traditional crafts, performing
arts, cooking, etc.] and events
centered around Cambodian
history and tradition
Address the intergenerational and
cultural divide by providing Khmer
and English language classes at
the CACC
Locate the CACC site in
Cambodia Town
Parents with Young Children
Create opportunities for
youth and 2nd generation
Cambodian Americans to
learn about and engage with
Cambodian art, history,
and traditions, fostering
understanding and pride in
their heritage
Serve as a landmark of the
Cambodian community,
drawing in, strengthening, and
activating the Cambodian
community and promoting
Cambodian culture nationwide

Consider ways to revitalize
Cambodia Town’s local
economy, whether through
creating job opportunities,
supporting small businesses,
or providing workforce
development

This group particularly desired
to have the CACC site located in
Cambodia Town
Older Adults

Preserve the Khmer language by
teaching the younger generations

Cultivate pride in Cambodian
culture, including Khmer arts,
history, and tradition, and
create a space that fosters
cultural learning, especially for
Cambodian American youth

Create space to view and
connect with Cambodian culture
Faith-Based Leaders

Reflect traditional Khmer/
Buddhist values such as respect
and family-centeredness at the
CACC
Provide educational
programming for youth to
learn about Cambodian culture,
etiquette, and ethics
Temples often host Khmer
celebrations and connect
community members with
resources such as vaccinations,
housing, and Khmer language
classes
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Share a holistic account of
Khmer history, exploring
narratives outside of the Khmer
Rouge and the Golden Age

Promote cross-cultural sharing
and collaboration with other
organizations and cultural centers
Key Themes
Use inclusive language and
messaging when creating
educational or informational
materials and engaging with
the public
Consider underutilized
school campuses as potential
sites for the CACC, as they are
spacious, have ample parking,
and accessible for both
drivers and users of public
transportation
CACC Committee Members

The CACC should accommodate
spaces for Khmer performing
arts, Khmer culture classes,
and showcasing Cambodian
American history .

While the CACC should serve
all, it should specifically serve
the younger generations and
the Cambodian community.

The CACC can help bridge
generational and cultural
gaps by offering cultural
programming for all ages,
providing mentorship,
and developing volunteer
opportunities.

Committee members shared
that being “Cambodian
American” means having pride
in their Cambodian heritage,
acknowledging their history,
and sharing Khmer culture
with others .

Although the CACC would
ideally be located in Cambodia
Town, locations outside of
Cambodia Town should be
considered given financial
feasibility and development
opportunities.

Celebrate the achievements
and strengths of the
Cambodian American
community, while building
up the future generations of
Cambodian Americans.

Key Themes

3.6 COMMUNITY FORUM
On December 14th 2022, the City of Long Beach, 6th District Office, and the CACC consultant team hosted a public community forum at the Homeland Cultural Center in MacArthur Park. The intention of this community forum was to receive updates about the CACC visioning process and join in on small group discussions similar to that of the targeted small
groups. Community members were
encouraged to attend this public event
through social media, news articles,
and flyers distributed by the City
and the CACC Committee members
in Khmer and English. Additionally,
dinner, Khmer interpretation, and
several opportunity drawings were
provided at this free, public event. The
following themes emerged from the
small group discussions
Create opportunities for the Cambodian community to be
immersed in Khmer culture by offering classes (traditional crafts, performing arts, cooking, etc.) and hosting events centered around Cambodian history and tradition .

Offer language classes [Khmer and English] to address
the intergenerational language barrier and help bridge
generational and cultural gaps
Ensure a welcoming and inclusive environment, where
anyone can learn about Cambodian history and culture
Community members shared that being “Cambodian American” alludes to a fusion of Khmer and American culture, and the personal journey of navigating these identities
Community members envision the CACC becoming a
“destination,” drawing attention to the Cambodian
community in Long Beach, improving the local economy,
and promoting Cambodian culture to all
Community members desired that the CACC site located in Cambodia Town
Consider a joint-use development with community-
based organizations already providing similar cultural programming and services or civic uses
Key Themes

3.7 YOUTH SURVEY
The respondents of the first CACC public survey
were generally adults or older adults, and saw an
underrepresentation of people between the ages
of 0 and 24. Given that one of the primary target
populations that was identified as part of the public
survey was youth, it became imperative that the
community engagement strategy included their
feedback. Following discussions with the CACC
team and Committee members who represent
the Cambodian American youth population, it was
determined that an online youth survey would be
the best strategy to engage this specific population.

With help from the Committee members, a youth
survey was created and widely distributed, and
with incentives from a local community business,
220 survey responses were collected. The following
key themes emerged from this youth survey
The cultural elements and experiences respondents
would most like to highlight at the CACC are the
Cambodian arts, Cambodian-owned business
and community based organizations, and the
history of Cambodia Town [Eastside].

The CACC can be a safe and inclusive space for
youth by creating a physically and emotionally
safe environment for youth, hiring staff that
are dedicated to the youth, training staff to be
welcoming and culturally sensitive, and bringing
the community together through engaging
cultural activities, programs and events.

The CACC can promote intergenerational and
cultural exchange and help bridge generational
and cultural gaps by developing cultural
programs, classes, and events that multiple
generations can enjoy, and by facilitating healing
conversations and workshops.

The activities respondents would most like to see
at the CACC are Khmer cultural classes, mental
health services, cooking classes, and youth
development services
Key Themes
What does it mean to be “Cambodian American” or if you do not identify as Cambodian American, what does “Cambodian Amer- ican” represent to you?

TOTAL RESPONSES
220

3.9 CULTURAL ASSET MAPPING
One of the key outcomes of the community engagement process was to identify potential locations to locate a Cambodian American Cultural Center. This spatial analysis included close engagement with the Steering & Honorary Committee as well as the general public to map historic and cultural resources relevant to Cambodian American cultural identity in Long Beach and beyond. As a result of this cultural asset mapping, several potential areas, sites, and buildings are to be considered for developing a Cultural Center based on agreed upon guiding principles and feasibility analysis. The following locations are identified as cultural assets to the Cambodian community:

Cultural Assets
These locations were identified by the CACC
Steering Committee and community members.

Feasibility
Study

4.1 INTRODUCTION
This Feasibility Study is for operating expenses and revenue during the first five years of operations after the opening of the Cambodian American Cultural Center. Year 5 after opening is considered a “Steady State”, when operations will stabilize [until then some operations will increase gradually]. Projections are based on realistic and conservative assumptions; benchmarks and comparable information that can be applied to the present case; community consultations, and analysis of the local market, demographic statistics, and future projections.

Assumptions and comparable benchmarks are complemented with the Consultants´ best judgment based on previous experience. It is important to note that this process is iterative. Assumptions are not cast in stone and may evolve as the project progresses and as new information becomes available – especially around building scale and programming details.

The Feasibility Study is designed in a way that changes to assumptions may be easily reflected in the financial model. This Feasibility Study is focused on core operations; it excludes taxes, inflation, amortization, and financial costs.

Revenues, expenses, and costs are projected in 2023 constant USD [does not include inflation]. Additionally, this Feasibility Study takes a high-level approach when looking at expenses, revenues, space allocations, and capital expenses.

Feasibility Study
Methodology
Data Collection
and Analysis

PROJECTIONS

ASSUMPTIONS

DEVELOPMENT
a. Space and facilities
b. Collections and exhibitions
c. Visitor experience
d. Visitor services
e. Attendance assumptions
f. Governance assumptions
g. Staffing assumptions
h. Programming assumptions
i. Marketing assumptions
j. Revenue generation
Visioning
Workshop
Community
Engagement
Outcomes
Input from other
planners and projects
FEASIBILITY STUDY | 32
FEASIBILITY STUDY | 33

4.2 CASE STUDIES & COMPARABLES
The following case studies are highlighted for various aspects of their development, operation, and programming, and were collaboratively identified between the Consultant and the community, including members of the Steering Committee, surveys, and public events. Narrowed down from over ten sites, these six case studies represent local, national, and international examples of what the CACC could be in many different ways, and serve as a comparative model of understanding.

National
Cambodian
Heritage
Museum
Asia Pacific
Cultural
Center
Stockton
Cambodian
Buddhist
Temple
Japanese
American
National
Museum
Wing Luke
Museum
Sq. Ft. N/A 10,500 7,000 85,000 60,000
Attendance 3,430 100,000 N/A N/A N/A
MSA Population 9,510,000 4,102,400 779,233 12,237,736 3,433,000 T otal Staff 4 15 0 69 58
T otal Revenue $123,770 $973,945 $1,074,443 $7,961,741 $3,427,975 Earned Revenue $7,256 - - $675,428 $364,682
Contributed Revenue $116,570 $758,263 $1,074,443 $7,717,315 $3,078,595 Government Revenue - $82,500 - - $715,146
Endowment Revenue - $33 - $234,701 $894
T otal Expenses $120,421 $660,714 $813,721 $7,029,751 $2,784,047 Personnel $74,331 $445,267 - $3,087,819 $1,990,237
Occupancy $12,000 $43,967 $24,387 $567,587 $142,287
Program and Collections $57,905 $24,033 $779,431 $4,572,821 $2,081,019 Marketing and Admin $71 $96,999 $9,903 $501,859 $121,462 FEASIBILITY STUDY | 34

NATIONAL CAMBODIAN

HERITAGE MUSEUM AND

KILLING FIELDS MEMORIAL
Location: Chicago, IL
County Population:

2.699 million
Year Founded: 2004
Description:

Permanent and temporary
exhibits of vivid images, descrip-
tive accounts, unique artifacts,
and interactive media displays
Programming:
• Culture and Healing
Arts Events
• Youth Leadership/
Mentorship
• Classes [music & language]
Operational Data
Facility Description: One main build-
ing available only by appointment due
to COVID-19.

Collection: “Through permanent and
temporary exhibits of vivid images,
descriptive accounts, unique arti -
facts, and interactive media displays,
the museum celebrates the remark -
able Cambodian achievements and
traditions kept alive through centuries
of hardships. The memorial museum
educates visitors about Cambodian
ancient and modern history, the refu-
gee experience, and the Cambodian
American community today”.

Total Staff Members:
4-5 (mostly volunteer)
Annual Attendance: N/A
Hours Open:

Tuesdays to Fridays – 10 am to 4 pm
Saturday – 11 am to 3 pm by appoint-
ments only
Admission Fees: Free
Programs
Cultural & Healing Arts
“The museum, in collaboration with
multidisciplinary professionals,
employs a holistic approach to
address these complex challenges
that survivors and their families face”.

Youth Leadership & Mentorship
“To educate youth and young adults
about the Cambodian culture
while capturing the experiences of
Cambodian American.”
Classes
• Khmer Pinpeat Music
and Khmer Traditional
Music classes for all ages
• Khmer Dance classes
for children and teens
• Khmer Language classes
for all ages

40.3% Contributions, gifts, grants
27% Program service revenue

16.9% Income from fundraising events

15.7% Membership dues and assessments
Annual Revenue
(2019):
$123,770
40% Program service expenses

8.3% Occupancy, rent, utilities, and maintenance

0.04% Printing, publications, postage, and shipping
Annual Expenses
(2019):
$120,421
Financials
FEASIBILITY STUDY | 35
FEASIBILITY STUDY | 36
Operational Data
Facility Description: APCC is currently
located in a 10,500 sq. ft. building in
South Tacoma but is planning a new
home to be built on the existing site.

The proposed new building will
provide more functional space,
including:
• Art Gallery
• Performing Arts Center
• Welcome Center
• Community Gift Shop
• Culinary Demonstration Kitchen
• Asia Pacific Garden
• Asia Pacific Library
• Courtyard
• Tea Room
• APCC estimates that it will be able
to serve over 300,000 visitors in
the expanded space
Note: It may be valuable to contact the Asia
Pacific Cultural Center for construction cost
estimates of the ongoing expansion.

Collection: None
Total Staff Members: 15 staff
Annual Attendance: 100,000 (in 2016)
Hours Open: Every day 9 am to 5 pm
Admission Fees: Free
Programs
Cultural Events and Activities:

A series of festivals and programs cele-
brating Asian Pacific heritage from
specific regions, or with specific themes
Interactive Cultural Workshops and
Presentations: Hands on workshops
and presentations that take place on
site or at local schools, senior living
homes, private companies, and
more Cultural Tours of Asia Pacific
Countries: annual group tours of
different countries, visiting sites of
cultural and historical significance
Promised Leaders of Tomorrow:
mentorship, educational support,
and cultural programming for at-risk,
low-income Asian and Pacific Islander
youth, designed to encourage high
school graduation
Extended learning programs
at local elementary schools
Language classes

ASIA PACIFIC

CULTURAL CENTER
Location: Tacoma, WA
County Population: 921,130
Year Founded: 1996
Description: Bridge communities
and generations through art,
culture, education, and business,
Asia Pacific Cultural Center,
a non-profit organization,
serves as an interactive cultural
crossroads between local and
international communities.

Programming:
• Interactive Cultural
Workshops and
Presentations
• Taste of Asia and Asian
Tea Experience Classes
• Field Trip Visits
• Asia Pacific Art Gallery
• Cultural Tour of Asia
Pacific Countries
• Annual Cultural Festivals
and Celebrations
• Community Partner
Activities
• Youth Programs

65.2% Contributions, gifts, grants

13.7% Other revenue

12.5% Income from fundraising events

8.5% Government Grants

0.2% Membership dues and assessments
Annual Revenue
(2019):
$973,945
Financials
FEASIBILITY STUDY | 37

6.7% Occupancy, rent, utilities, and maintenance

3.6% Program service expenses

1.2% Travel
1% Other

0.8% Conference, conventions, and meetings
Annual Expenses
(2019):
$660,714
FEASIBILITY STUDY | 38
Operational Data
Facility Description: Wa t
Dhammararam Buddhist Temple is
an active Buddhist temple located
in Stockton. The temple is widely
recognized for its surrounding sculpture
garden, which features over 90 statues
that celebrate the life and story of
Buddha. The temple itself was built in
1995 and is approximately 7,000 sq. ft
Collection: Over 90 concrete statues
depicting the life of Buddha.

Total Staff Members: None (volunteer
operated).

Annual Attendance: Unknown
Hours Open: Daylight
Admission Fees: Free
Programs
The temple is host to Stockton’s 3-day
New Year’s Celebration. The event
features live music, dancing, crafts,
and Cambodian cuisine.

The site itself contains an active
Buddhist monastery.

STOCKTON CAMBODIAN

BUDDHIST TEMPLE
Location: Stockton, CA
County Population: 779,233
Year Founded: 1982
Description: Big statues dot
the landscape of this peaceful
Buddhist temple founded by
Cambodian refugees.

Programming:

Annual Cambodian
New Year Celebration

63% Contributions, gifts, grants
37% Income from fundraising events
Annual Revenue
(2019):
$1,074,443

95.8% Program service expenses
3% Occupancy, rent, utilities, and maintenance

1.2% Insurance
Annual Expenses
(2019):
$813,721
Financials
FEASIBILITY STUDY | 39
FEASIBILITY STUDY | 40
Operational Data
Facility Description: JANM’s campus
includes a former Buddhist temple
consisting of a 23,800 sq. ft. building,
as well as an 84,000 sq. ft. Pavilion
(with galleries and gathering spaces),
and a versatile 200-seat theater
connected by a plaza. The facilities
are available for private, community,
and corporate event rentals as well as
a film location.

Collection: “The over 150,000 objects
that comprise the JANM permanent
collection chronicle the Japanese
American experience in its entirety
from early immigration to the present.”
Total Staff Members: 69 staff
Annual Attendance: N/A
Hours Open: Tuesday, Wednesday,
Friday–Sunday: 11 a.m.–5 p.m.; last
entry is at 4 p.m. Thursday: 12 p.m.–8
p.m.; last entry is at 7 p.m.

Admission Fees: $16 for adults, $9 for
seniors, students, and youth, Free for
children under 5.

Programs
Discover Nikkei: A global community
sharing stories and the experiences of
Nikkei (Japanese emigrants or descen-
dants who do not hold Japanese citi -
zenship) around the world.

National Center for the Preservation
of Democracy Fellowship: Artist
fellowship program, with residency.

Nationa l Endowment for the
Humanities Landmarks Workshop
For Teachers: Examines history
through the neighborhood of Little
Tokyo in two week-long workshops.

JAPANESE AMERICAN

NATIONAL MUSEUM
Location: Los Angeles, CA
County Population: 9,861,224
Year Founded: 1992
Description: “Promotes
understanding and appreciation
of America’s ethnic and cultural
diversity by sharing the Japanese
American experience”.

Programming:

Historical and arts exhibitions,
educational public programs,
award-winning documentaries,
and innovative curriculum that
illuminate the stories and the
rich cultural heritage of people
of Japanese ancestry in the U.S.

68.3% Contributions, gifts, grants

7.5% Membership dues and assessments

7.4% Other Income

7.2% Program service revenue
7% Income from fundraising events

2.5% Investment income
Annual Revenue
(2019):
$7,961,741

52.4% Program service expenses

35.4% Contributions, gifts, grants

6.5% Occupancy, rent, utilities, and maintenance

1.6% Travel

1.2% Insurance

0.23% Advertising and promotion
Annual Expenses
(2019):
$7,029,751
Financials
FEASIBILITY STUDY | 41
FEASIBILITY STUDY | 42
Operational Data
Facility Description:
60,000 sq. ft., 3 floors
Main Floor: Exhibit spaces,
Community Hall, Theatre, Marketplace
1st Floor: Gathering space,
Exhibit spaces
2nd Floor: Community spaces,
Library and Heritage Center
Collection: Stories and experiences
of national Asian American, Native
Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander
[AANHPI] artists
Total Staff Members: N/A
Annual Attendance: N/A
Hours Open: 10 AM - 5 PM
Wednesday - Sunday
Admission Fees: $17 for adults, $15
for seniors, $12.5 for students, $10 for
youth, Free for children under 5
Programs
• “Authentic experiences and
perspectives from the strug -
gles of early Asian pioneers
to accomplished works by
national Asian American, Native
Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander
[AANHPI] artists”.
• Contemporary galleries show-
case both temporary and
permanent exhibitions.
• Preserved historic spaces, accessi-
ble only through daily guided tour.
• They tell the story of their neigh-
borhood, Seattle’s Chinatown-In -
ternational District, through
guided tours and events.

WING LUKE MUSEUM OF THE

ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN

EXPERIENCE
Location: Seattle, WA
County Population: 733,919
Year Founded: 1967
Description: It aims to empower
Asian Americans, Native
Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders
(AANHPIs) to tell their stories and
histories in their own voices It
serves as a primary Smithsonian
affiliate in the Pacific Northwest,
a National Park Service Affiliated
Area, and as the nation’s only
museum dedicated to the
pan-APA community
Programming:

Storytelling through contemporary
galleries showcasing:
• Temporary and permanent
exhibitions and Preserved
historic spaces
• Support and revitalize
Seattle’s Chinatown-
International District
through events and tours
71% Contributions, gifts, grants
17% Government grants

8.5% Program service revenue

1.6% Membership dues and assessments

1.5% Other Income

0.33% Income from fundraising events

0.02% Investment Income
Annual Revenue
(2019):
$3,427,975
Financials
FEASIBILITY STUDY | 43
48% Program service expenses

3.3% Occupancy, rent, utilities, and maintenance

1.2% Advertising and promotion

0.3% Information technology

0.2% Travel
Annual Expenses
(2019):
$2,784,047
FEASIBILITY STUDY | 44

CAMBODIAN CULTURAL VILLAGE ANGKOR GREEN GARDENS
Location: Siem Riep, Cambodia
County Population: 245,494
Year Founded: 2003
Description: The CCV presents miniature versions of important historical buildings and structures, together with local customs. There are eleven unique villages, representing the varied cultural heritage of nineteen ethnic groups. It includes a wax museum displaying scenes from the culture and history of Cambodia. CCV permanently closed in November 2020 following the collapse in the tourism industry caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Programming:
• Traditional performances in different styles such as Apsara dancing • Performances of ethnic minorities from the northeastern part of Cambodia • Traditional wedding ceremony rites
• Circuses, folk games, peacock dancing, acrobatics, elephant shows, boxing, caves of hell and more ASSUMPTIONS AND PROJECTIONS | 45

4.3. ASSUMPTIONS

AND PROJECTIONS
Feasibility Study Overview
This Feasibility Study projects that by
Year 5 [steady state], the Cambodian
American Cultural Center [CACC] will:
• Encompass 27,500 gross square
feet [19,600 net square feet]
• Have an operating budget of
around $1,000,000
• Be able to cover 25% of its
operating costs through earned
revenue sources
• Operate with 6 FTEs [Full-Time
Equivalent Staff], supplemented
by 4 contractors [ex: janitorial
and security]
• Be visited by approximately
30,000 people per year
• Require approximately $750,000
yearly to break even on operations,
which will come from a variety of
sources including: government
contributions, corporate
contributions, donations,
sponsorships, and grants.

Approximately $575,000 will be
required yearly to break even on
operations, which will come from
a variety of sources including:
government contributions,
corporate contributions, donations,
sponsorships, and grants.

Space Assumptions
Building size is a critical input to any
feasibility study, driving both costs
and revenue opportunities. The
building size is approximate and has
NOT been confirmed for this project.

Based on community input, the
types of services/ programs to be
delivered, the versatility of spaces,
and comparable organizations, Lord
Space Description Sq. Ft. % of total
space
Program Space 5,150 26%
Performance Space 6,525 33%
Exhibition and Collections Space 3,400 17%
Support Space 4,602 23%
T otal Net Space 19,677
T otal Gross Space 27,548
Expense and Revenue Overview
$1,200,000
$1,000,000
$800,000
$600,000
$400,000
$200,000
$0
Y1
$985,768
$143,900 $154,271
Total Earned Revenue + Program Grants Total Expenses
$200,809
$238,163 $249,953
$924,733
$966,317 $959,713
$999,594
Y2 Y3 Y4 Y5
has made space assumptions for
feasibility study purposes only. Actual
space breakdowns will be confirmed
over the course of future planning.
5-Year Overview:

Expenses and Revenues
Operations are expected to ramp
up during the first five years of
operations. As a result, operating
expenses and earned revenue also
ramp up, with Year 5 considered
the year when “full operations” are
reached. Earned revenues do not
cover 100% of operating expenses;
other external sources of revenue are
required to break even on operations.

Operating Expenses (Year 5)
Operating Expenses can be arranged
into four main categories. The single
largest category is HR; this is in line
with benchmarks. Content and
programs are 26% of total expenses,
estimating for the delivery of a
broad array of public programs and
community services.

Expense Assumptions
Occupancy has been calculated
on a square foot basis, based on
the comparables. General and
Administrative [G&A] has been
calculated based on benchmarks.

Marketing costs have been revised
down based on an assumption that
CACC will be bolstered by word-of-
mouth/community connections. Public
Programs and Community Services
costs are based on benchmark
programming costs per visitor. It is
assumed there will be at least two
signature festivals/events per year.

Exhibition Assumptions
The following assumptions have been
made about exhibitions for feasibility
study purposes. Exhibition space will
be split evenly between:
• Semi-Permanent Exhibition
Space rotating every 4-5 years,
with an upfront installation
cost and relatively low annual
maintenance cost
• Temporary Exhibition Space
changing 2-3 times per year at
steady state
• The space allocation also
assumes museum functionality,
such as collections storage
and exhibition workspaces.

Earned Revenue (Year 5)
This Feasibility Study projects earned
revenue from a range of sources. The
three largest revenue sources are
Memberships, Fundraising Events,
and Venue Rentals.

ASSUMPTIONS AND PROJECTIONS | 46
$50,435 Membership
$37,759 Annual Fundraising Event
$29,127 Program Grants (Restricted)
$26,250 Venue Rentals & Events
$25,000 Performing Arts
$25,000 Signature Events & Festivals Revenue (gross)
$16,650 Ticketing Revenue
$16,650 Public Programs & Community Services (gross)
$13,082 Retail Store (net)
$10,000 Other Earned Income
Earned Revenue
(Year 5):
$249,953
$256,089 Content & Programs
$120,627 General and Administrative
$68,476 Occupancy & Maintenance
Operating Expenses
(Year 5):
$999,594
ASSUMPTIONS AND PROJECTIONS | 47
Revenue Assumptions
Visitors to the exhibition will be
charged a modest fee to enter.

There will be a Retail Store on-site,
offering local and culturally relevant
products. The space will be rented
out after hours or for private events
at competitive market rates. The
community will support the CACC
through individual and corporate
memberships. Public Programs and
Community Services will likely be
a relatively low source of revenue
due to their mission-driven nature.

Starting in Year 3, ticketed performing
arts events will be held. The CACC will
develop a fundraising program that
includes an annual fundraising event.

Attendance Projections
Attendance Projections
Attendance is expected to increase
from Year 1-Year 5, with Year 5 as
steady state. Projections combine
comparables data, larger contextual
data, and consultants experience.
0 5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
Year 5Year 4Year 3Year 2Year 1
21,237 21,945
24,776
28,316
29,732
ASSUMPTIONS AND PROJECTIONS | 48
Local History and
Maritime Museums
$80-$300 US per s.f.

Natural History and Science Museums
$300-$600 US per s.f.

Fine Art Museums
$1,000 US+ per s.f.

Construction
Costs (65%)
Total Project Cost ranges applied to this project, for 27,000 square feet, and for three scenarios Inflated ratio
2023 (65%)
Total Project Cost
(100%)
$104-$390
$390-$782
$1,300+
65% = $6.7M US
35% = $3.6M US
Total = $10.3M US
65% = $15.8M US
35% = $8.5M US
Total = $24.3M US
65% = $35.0M US
35% = $15.0M US
Total = $50.0M US
Capital Expense Guidelines
Notes: The Capital Expense
Guidelines assumes a new build,
ground-up construction and does not
represent costs for an adaptive reuse
development, joint use development,
or other types of construction.

Additionally, the Capital Expense
Guidelines do not include the cost for
acquisition of the land or existing site
on which the Cambodian American
Cultural Center will be built. A study
of the rough order of magnitude
[ROM] for adaptive reuse, tenant
improvements for existing spaces,
and mixed-use developments is
recommended.

Approach and Methodology
This section provides a preliminary
range estimate of total Capital
Expenses [CapEx] for a 27,000 square
foot, new building. The range goes
from a lowest of $10M to a highest of
$50M US, depending on the scenario.

The apex range is more typical of
mixed cultural-use buildings with
smaller square footage allocations to
collection or exhibition functions. The
proposed range is very broad because
it covers a wide variety of design and
facility standards scenarios, which are
subject to future decision making. It is
recommended to involve a specialized
cost consultant in the future to arrive
at a more accurate CapEx estimate for
the project. Current calculations are
based on $/sq. f. ratios from Lord´ s
database of cultural projects US-wide,
not specifically in Long Beach, inflated
to 2023 using officially published
statistics. The RSMeans historical
cost index [for recreational projects @
$600 / sq. f.]is an alternative approach
that yields similar average results.

The preliminary estimate provided is
for Total Project Costs and is broken
down into:
• Construction costs [hard costs]:
the cost of building/s and site
work; amount to approximately
65% of the capital costs of
building projects in North
America. This is the figure
obtained from the database, to
which soft costs are added;
• Soft costs: soils report, agency
fees [including architect], A&E
fees, permitting fees, inspection
fees, etc. Represents approxi
mately 35% of total costs.
• Both hard costs and soft costs
constitute Total Project Costs.
• Hiring services of a “Starchitect”
can increase construction costs
by approximately 50%.

Construction Cost Ranges [65%].

Local museums and cultural centers
are in the lower end of the range,
as they do not require such strict
environmental standards or iconic
buildings as Art Museums, nor the
high tech required by Science Centers.

CAPEX Guidelines
RECOMMENDATIONS | 49

5.1 ORGANIZATION
With championing of Councilmember
Dr. Suely Saro, and support from interdepart-
mental City leadership and the community
consultant team, there is much public
momentum for the actualization of the
Cambodian American Cultural Center.

However, sustained momentum will be the result of
continual public engagement and leadership from the
community. Building off of the successes of the African American and Latino American Cultural Centers’ visioning efforts, the Cambodian American Cultural Center requires thoughtful organization and partnership.

Additionally, while there were many community members
and leaders who participated in this visioning process, there are several key figures who were not involved in
either the Steering Committee or at any public engage - ment events due to various factors. As a responsive action, it was advised that, following the release of this report, outreach continue with the Steering Committee as well as other cultural and technical leaders in the community. The following four key topics will help to further fill and round out any gaps of information:
• Cambodian Resettlement in Long Beach
• Bridging the Generational and Cultural Divide
• The Role of Temples in Preserving Culture
• Vision for the Cambodian American Cultural Center
The following recommendations are strategies that the
community and City can refer to in order to best organize themselves between pre- to post-development of the CACC.

Recommendations
Creation of the Cambodian American Cultural Center
nonprofit.

Advisory support and coordination from the City of
Long Beach, including several City Departments, in
developing and establishing a Cambodian American
Cultural Center.

Formation of different committees or working groups,
composed of both existing and new Steering Commit-
tee members based on their respective expertise and
capacities, to lead the development of the Cambodian
American Cultural Center. Committees or working
groups can be categorized in the following groups:
• Programming
• Finance/Fundraising
• Development
• Memberships/Partnerships
• Communications
• Technology
Continue to consistently host culturally relevant events and programs to continue the momentum of the Cambodian
American Cultural Center until and after development occurs.

Implement memberships, fundraising events, and
venue rentals, in addition to other funding mechanisms
identified as part of the feasibility study, in order to help cover operation costs and programming.
1 2
3 4
5 Continued communication with Steering Committee and
community members
Creation of website and social media accounts dedi -
cated to the Cambodian American Cultural Center
7 6
RECOMMENDATIONS | 52

5.2 DEVELOPMENT
It will be import ant that the City of Long Beach, devel - opers, and cultural experts work closely together to
thoughtfully incorporate the following recommendations
and implementation measures that are based on the
public feedback and feasibility study presented earlier in this report. The development team must also consider the unpredictability of future market conditions as well as the limited availability of land and capital improve - ment funding. With the development of CACC, continual
engagement with the public, stakeholder groups, and
potential funders will be crucial to continue the momen - tum for development and programming.

The Cambodian American Cultural Center should ideally
be located in the Cambodia Town neighborhood, prefera-
bly within proximity to other cultural institutions such as MacArthur Park, Mark Twain Library, and the Killing Fields Memorial along Anaheim Street. A second option would
be a location outside of Cambodia Town, given financial feasibility and development opportunities.

Given the limited availability and high cost of land, the Cambodian American Cultural Center may be considered
a joint-use development opportunity with other cultur-
ally significant community-based organizations, civic
uses, or mixed-use housing development.

The Cambodian American Cultural Center shall be
designed to accommodate various modes of transpor-
tation, and incorporate ADA accessibility.

The interior and exterior spaces of the Cambodian Ameri- can Cultural Center should be flexible to allow for a variety of programs that the community has expressed interest in.

The exterior design of the Cambo dian American
Cultural Center shall serve as a physical landmark for
the community, having architectural significance with
design elements that are contextually and culturally
appropriate to the surrounding built environment.

Create a gift and souvenir shop that sells authentic
Khmer items and locally-sold wares created by Cambo-
dian and Cambodian American artists and craftsmen.
1 2
3 4
5 6
RECOMMENDATIONS | 54

5.3 PROGRAMMING
Communit y members were vocal about what types of
events, exhibits, and partnerships they would like to
see at the Cambodian American Cultural Center. While
community members expressed how CACC should be
accessible to all who are interested in culture and history, the primary audience should be Cambodian American
youth and bridging the generational divide with adults
and elders from the community. The CACC should also be
a safe space where youth can discover and explore their identities as Cambodian Americans through cultural,
educational, and creative programs. As an inclusive space, it is also important to develop programming that consid - ers the racial and ethnic diversity within the Cambodian community and the broader Long Beach community.

While further engagement is required to develop these
programs, the following community-defined key topics
are the basis from which to ideate.

Foster cultural preservation and learning through rotat- ing and permanent exhibits and programs including, but
not limited to:
• Khmer and English language classes
• Cambodian and Cambodian American art
• Khmer performing arts
• Traditional crafts (e.g., silk weaving, carving, sculpting, silver working)
• Cooking classes
• History exhibitions
• Mental health
• Youth development
• Healing spaces
Develop and strengthen partnerships with the following
local and relevant entities and organizations to lead or co-host programming:
• Arts & culture nonprofits
• Temples and religious institutions
• Academic institutions
• Community groups/resident leaders
• Cambodian-owned businesses
• Youth organizations
• Social service providers
• Non-Long Beach Cambodian cultural sites
• African American and Latino American
Cultural Centers
1 2
Celebrate the achievements and adversities of Cambo-
dian history, fostering pride in Khmer heritage, by focus- ing on and raising awareness of the following within and outside the City of Long Beach:
• Khmer American refugee experience and
transitioning to life in America
• Narratives outside of solely the Khmer Rouge
and the Golden Age
• The strengths and achievements of the Cambo -
dian American community
Highlight the various religious beliefs , traditions,
etiquette, ethics, and healing practices of Cambodian
culture, reflecting traditional Khmer/Buddhist values
such as respect and family-centeredness by working
closely with temples that often host Khmer celebrations.

Create a space for community economic development so as to improve the City of Long Beach local economy through:
• Creating job opportunities
• Workforce development
• Supporting Cambodian-owned businesses
and entrepreneurs
• Technology and innovation
• Youth mentorship
• Volunteer opportunities
Use inclusive and relevant languages and messaging
when creating educational or informational materials
and signage with the public.
3 4
5 6