Long Beach officials celebrate opening of Shoreline Gateway, now the tallest building on Southern California's coast

Long Beach city officials cut the ribbon Thursday on Shoreline Gateway, a new 35-story development that is now the tallest building along the Southern California coast.

Shoreline Gateway, at 777 E. Ocean Blvd. in the heart of downtown Long Beach, is home to 315 residential units and 6,500 square feet of commercial space. The tower includes studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartments, and amenities such as community living spaces, a pool and spa, a fitness center, and a dog park, and an expansive rooftop terrace with unobstructed, 270-degree views of the Long Beach coastline and beyond.

"Shoreline Gateway is now the tallest building in Long Beach and is a symbol of our progress and future," Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia said in a statement.

Besides being the tallest building in Long Beach, it is also the tallest on the California coast from the southern region of Los Angeles to San Diego's downtown and harbor areas. The tower that was unveiled Thursday is the second of a two-phase project that includes The Current, a 17-story mixed-use project next door that was completed in 2016. The two towers are now connected via a 10,000-square-foot shared plaza.

The project is also Long Beach's first development to achieve gold LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.