La Habra Boulevard Corridor Demonstration Project

Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG)

Working as part of a Compass Blueprint demonstration project team led by The Planning Center, DC&E completed an assessment of the development potential of a prototypical parcel in downtown La Habra as part of a project to jumpstart infill development in this northern Orange County City. DC&E assessed the financial feasibility, or “tipping point,” of three development schemes that would be catalytic projects with the potential to increase activity in the downtown. DC&E determined that a senior center and housing project would accrue the most revenue under existing market and regulatory conditions, whereas a live/work project with a retail component and an all office project were found to be infeasible. The high demand for senior housing translated into high lease rates that, when combined with low parking requirements and a high number of units due to small permitted unit sizes, combined positively to make senior housing an attractive option that could increase redevelopment in downtown La Habra.