North OC Times

OCVibe, a $4 billion project near Honda Center, received approval for an updated development plan from the Anaheim Planning Commission on Monday.

The new plan, which updates one first adopted by Anaheim’s City Council in 2022, allows for more apartments, including affordable ones, and less office space. This change reflects lower demand for office space and high demand for housing.

The Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend the changes to Anaheim’s City Council, which will consider the update in October.

The updated plan removes the 384,000-square-foot Arena Corporate Center office complex north of Honda Center. It will be replaced with up to 750 additional apartments, 15,000 square feet of retail space, and up to 325,000 square feet of new office space alongside apartments and retail.

Depending on how much office space is built by OCVibe developer Anaheim Real Estate Partners LLC—a company owned by Henry and Susan Samueli who also own the Anaheim Ducks and operate Honda Center—the area could see either 460, 675 or 750 additional apartments.

With these changes, the total number of OCVibe apartments will increase to between 1,960 and 2,250 units from the originally approved 1,500. Overall office space will decrease to 563,875 square feet from the originally planned 948,250 square feet.

There is no change to a planned six-story building with four floors of office space totaling 141,800 square feet that is already under early construction just south of Honda Center.

The update also replaces a commercial concert amphitheater at Meadow Park near the ARTIC transit hub with more public park space.

In total, the Planning Commission recommended several changes to the City Council: updates to the city’s general plan; amendments to Platinum Triangle Master Land Use Plan; amendments to Anaheim Municipal Code; changes to a development agreement between OCVibe and the city; and updates to conditional-use permits.

OCVibe is a 100-acre development that includes entertainment venues, shopping centers, dining options, apartments, offices spaces hotels parks and open spaces around Honda Center and ARTIC. The project is in early construction stages with parking structures and roadwork underway near Katella Avenue along Orange (57) Freeway. Parking structures are expected to open in 2025 with other parts following in subsequent years. Much of OCVibe is set for completion by the 2028 Olympics when Honda Center is expected to host indoor volleyball events.

More information about OCVibe can be found at Anaheim.net/OCVibe.

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