An artist's rendering of "Belmont Yards," the proposed site for an ambitious Long Beach development plan. (Photo/Veronica Quezada)

Five USC graduate students presented their vision of a Long Beach development site to the City Council on Tuesday, and the team of Trojans left an audience of both legislators and city residents in awe.

Each year, the National Association of Industrial and Office Parks picks a piece of land in California that needs remodeling. This year, Long Beach was chosen for its valuable and profitable property near the ocean. The project takes six weeks and pits five USC students against five UCLA students. The two groups get to present their project to more than 400 real estate professionals and city planners. 

The Trojans beat the Bruins this time around.

The five grad students are Real Estate Developing majors at USC’s Price School of Public Policy. The team's plan is to completely reconstruct the area on the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Second Street where the current Seaport Marina Hotel resides. The group renamed the property “Belmont Yards.”

“Our idea was to create an outdoor destination that will serve as a gateway or grand gesture of what long beach is,” said Christian Santos, one of the five winners.

While attending classes, completing homework and taking midterms, the group of five still found time to tackle the ambitious project.

“We had to take a look at the sight itself, talk to the community, city council, city planning, and consultants and with previous developers,” Santos said.

“It took about four to six weeks to create our project, presentation-ready, and we had to complete about a year's work and due diligence in that time frame. We had absolutely no lives during the process. It was a like an 80+ hour a week full time job,” said Nick D’Argenzio, another group member.

All the sacrifice and hard work paid off in the end, as the group's presentation left city council members stunned.

“This is an extremely creative, bold, thriving plan and I think everyone here agree. This is probably one of the most exciting projects I have seen since I have been on council,” said Gerrie Schipske, a council member.

However, the city council cautioned the audience that the property is private and development is completely up to the owner. If the owner, who has already seen the development plan, were to take this project into consideration, the group would be more than happy.

“We are all very passionate about what we do. We live, breathe, and sleep real estate development. It's all about creating better places,” D’Argenzio said.

The students' vision for “Belmont Yards” includes a six-story hotel, retail shops, restaurants, a permanent shop for a farmers market, and a bridge connecting the property to the ocean.

“We carefully thought of the creation of an outdoor public city. It’s a beach city and we want it to have a place to bring together families and friends. A place to have concerts and outdoor activities. A place to put a Christmas tree,” said Santos.

After the presentation, residents lined up to speak on the project and most congratulated the group on the great work.

“I just want to say I’m in complete awe, what a gift you have. It’s just absolutely phenomenal and exciting. I believe it will really draw people into that area,” said Francis Harris, a Long Beach resident.

Even though all five students sacrificed their personal lives, including a best friend’s wedding and time with spouses, D’Arganzio said it was worth it in the end.

“Standing up in front of over 400 of the industry's most seasoned real estate professionals and presenting something that we were proud of, winning the highly coveted Silver Shovel, and of course beating UCLA!”

Reach contributor Veronica Quezada here.