For almost 100 years, this mile-plus of oceanfront property in Huntington Beach has been used by oil and natural gas facilities, but now it could be redeveloped into an 800-unit housing development with retail space and a hotel.
The California Resources Corporation, an energy company based in Long Beach, recently submitted an application to the city to redevelop the 92 acres it owns along Pacific Coast Highway, which sit largely between Seapoint Street and Goldenwest Street.
The 1.2 mile-long industrial site, a mix of buildings and tanks, is across the highway from the city’s beach. Its interior edge is adjacent to homes.
CRC’s external relations manager, Nital Patel, said redeveloping the property will enhance the local landscape and bring economic benefits to the city with new jobs and tax revenue.
The project is asking to build up to 800 residential housing units composed of single-family homes, townhomes and condominiums. Ten percent of the homes would be made affordable under the city’s housing policies, according to a news release.
There would also be up to 350 hotel rooms, retail and restaurants built. About 23 acres of the site would be dedicated as open space.
“The goal of this project is to shape the future of the property with the evolving needs of the local community,” said Bob Grundstrom, CRC’s senior vice president of business development, in a statement. “We recognize the importance of thoughtful growth and understand the community’s concerns about high-density housing — and that’s not what this is. By transitioning the property from an industrial site to a mixed-use community, we’re not only creating housing and economic opportunities, but also ensuring that this coastal asset serves residents and visitors for generations to come.”
Patel said the project will need to go through multiple levels of review within the city and be evaluated under the California Environmental Quality Act.
Patel said they anticipate the City Council could review the amendment needed to the city’s zoning by mid-2026. The property is zoned now for “commercial visitor,” and that would have to be changed to allow housing.
If approved by the City Council, the project would then go before the California Coastal Commission for final review.
The Magnolia Tank Farm project, which neighbors a former landfill and similarly was a housing development paired with a hotel, took three years to get approval from the California Coastal Commission after the City Council first gave its consent in 2021.
Patel said the project is in the early stages and no renderings or cost estimates to build out the project are available yet.
“We are committed to working closely with the community,” Patel said in an email, “and gathering meaningful feedback throughout the process as the proposal evolves.”