About 16,000 square feet of vacant land in Central Long Beach could soon be the site of affordable housing for seniors.

The Long Beach City Council voted unanimously at its Tuesday, Aug. 13 meeting to sell the city-owned plots at 925-945 East Pacific Coast Highway to the nonprofit Mercy Housing California for $750,000.

The organization indicated it would use the land to develop an apartment complex for low-income folks ages 62 and up. Some units will be reserved for seniors who have been homeless.

Related: More coverage of affordable housing in Long Beach

It’s still too early to solidify details, representatives for Mercy cautioned, but Vice President of Community Planning Amy Bayley said Monday, Aug. 12 that the project would likely include 68 to 70 units.

Because Mercy is also in escrow to buy a neighboring property on Pacific Coast Highway, the organization would be able to build a larger project than just the city-owned lots would allow on their own.

Combined, the site comprises about 30,000 square feet, according to Long Beach’s Deputy Director of Economic and Property Development Sergio Ramirez.

Vice Mayor Dee Andrews, who represents the 6th District where the project site is located, said he was glad to see something that would be so beneficial to the community coming to a corner that has been empty for years.

“When this project goes up, you will be able to see it from the downtown,” Andrews said. “That’s going to be one of the tallest buildings that we’re going to have there in the 6th District.”

The site will also include a public art component, Bayley said, although it’s unclear at this point what exactly that will entail.

“It’ll be a very big community engagement element,” she said. “We have no idea what the art will be, but we will spend time, probably beginning next week, going through a little bit more of the process. We’ll begin artist-led community engagement to come up with the right art.”

Mercy expects construction would take about 15 months. If all goes according to plan, a grand opening could be celebrated in late 2022 or early 2023.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to clarify that Mercy Housing California is in escrow to buy a neighboring property on Pacific Coast Highway.