A new-old look for a grand lady of Long Beach

Starting this month, the castle-like Villa Riviera in Long Beach will undergo a yearlong overhaul that will return the exterior to its original 1929 splendor. The Villa's 132 homeowners are about to give the Long Beach landmark's facade a $4-million face-lift.

"You're going to drive by it and say, 'Wow,' " said Ann Dresselhaus, spokeswoman for Spectra Co., which will oversee the project and has worked on the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood and the Gamble House in Pasadena.