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Catellus Joins Philips 66 to Redevelop 440-Acre Refinery in Los Angeles
Philips 66 filed redevelopment plans for its refinery in the Wilmington area of Los Angeles, anticipating the plant's closure at the end of the year. The company hired Catellus Development Corporation and Deca Companies to transform the 440-acre property. The plan would use the vast majority of the land for eight industrial buildings 55 to 155 feet in height for a total of 6.1 million square feet of space. The smaller northern section would become a new town square with retail and recreation spaces as well as publicly accessible open space with room for community gatherings. This 77-acre area would include 270,000 square feet of retail space, 67,500 square feet of food and beverage, 5,000 square feet for community offices, 60,000-square-foot indoor sports facility, two outdoor soccer fields, and 2,741 parking spots. Construction will require the approval of a general plan amendment and zone change by LA City Council, as well as an environmental cleanup.
Los Angeles County Draft Sustainability Plan Envisions 159 Actions
LA County's Chief Sustainability Office released a draft update of the 2019 OurCounty Sustainability Plan, available for review and public comment until August 22. Encompassing a wide array of departments, policies, and programs, the plan contains 159 action items under 12 main goals, ranging from reducing car dependency and eliminating fossil fuels to equitable land use and transparent governance. The 2025 update increases the plan's emphasis on climate resilience in response to the increasing intensity and frequency of wildfires, extreme heat, storms, and droughts. The 2021 Climate Vulnerability Report and a countywide survey guided the update's priorities. Nearly half of the 159 actions in the report are on track or have been achieved, with 64 of the 78 priority goals achieved or on track for completion by the target date.
Massive Recreation & Hospitality Development Proposed for Chula Vista Bayfront
Chula Vista has unveiled early plans for “Pangaea,” a 124-acre destination district planned for the city’s bayfront. The proposal features numerous attractions, including a 50,000-seat stadium, multiple hotels, golf courses, a tennis complex, a water polo academy, an IMAX theater and 30,000 square feet of retail space. City leaders emphasize that community input will play a key role in shaping the project’s design and accessibility. The Port recently approved a six-month exclusive negotiation period with developer McGary Group to refine the plan. Pangaea represents the second phase of the bayfront redevelopment, following the recent opening of the Gaylord Pacific Hotel.
CP&DR Coverage: Bizarre Saga of Hollister's General Plan
In what may be the shortest-lived adoption of a general plan in state history, the Hollister City Council approved a general plan update, along with its environmental impact report (and Climate Action Plan), in late December. A mere three months later, the city council rescinded the plan and committed $431,000 to draft a new one. Shortly after the plan’s adoption in December, Campaign to Protect San Benito, a slow-growth advocacy group, launched a voter referendum drive to reverse the council’s December decision. The group submitted over 3,500 signatures on January 21. An apparently sympathetic city council obviated the need for a referendum by voting to rescind the plan in early March and start over again. In doing so, the city may have exposed itself to sanctions, or lawsuits.
Quick Hits & Updates
A new state audit estimates that allowing most California employees to work remotely three days a week could save $225 million annually by reducing office space, including major buildings in San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles and Sacramento. Governor Newsom’s office rejected the findings as speculative, arguing that the assumptions were unrealistic and reiterating his plan to require state workers to return four days per week starting next year.
Santa Ana city leaders are considering a 17.2-acre redevelopment of the aging South Coast Plaza Village, proposing up to 1,583 homes, 80,000 square feet of retail, 300,000 square feet of office space and nearly 14 acres of parks and open space. The multi-phase project, designed with residential, commercial and office buildings of up to 25 stories, is part of a larger effort to transform southern Santa Ana into high-density, walkable urban villages alongside the nearby Related Bristol development, and could take around 20 years to complete pending city approvals.
California high-speed rail officials and the Trump administration reached an agreement preserving nearly $4 billion in federal grant money while litigation over the administrations revocation of the grants plays out. The contested money has been placed in a legal trust, preventing it from being redirected by the federal government until the HSR's case against the federal government is concluded.
The Ross Valley Sanitary District , in Marin County, is searching for developers to transform the its decommissioned wastewater plant in Larkspur into new housing. The 10.7-acre property would be the city's largest housing development in decades, and its first since before the COVID pandemic. The city rezoned the land to allow for increased density and a Housing Priority Overlay designation which could streamline approval and avoid public objection. The Sanitary District stated a goal of 320 houses, while City Manager Dan Schwartz said constructing over 375 was possible.
In a recent study by Urban magazine, metropolitan planning organizations, including the Southern California Association of Governments, have adopted district-based systems that give Los Angeles representation roughly proportional to its share of the regional population. By contrast, in the Bay Area, San Francisco holds far more board votes per resident than surrounding counties, highlighting how representation can vary widely even within the state.
Developers have submitted formal permits for a 14-story, 202-foot mixed-use tower at 1 East 4th Avenue in downtown San Mateo. The tower would include 236 apartments (36 affordable), office space, retail and parking for cars and bicycles. Designed by Arc Tec and using state density bonus provisions, it would be the city’s tallest building and feature amenities along with public sidewalk improvements.
The Presbytery of San Gabriel returned a half-acre parcel of land back to the Gabrielino/Tongva San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, marking the first land transfer from a church to a recognized Indigenous tribe in California history. Tribal and Church leaders praised the transfer as an important step for historical healing and justice. The land, once part of the site of a sacred Gabrielino/Tongva village, had been rented by the tribe from the church for the past forty years.
The Southern California Association of Governments awarded a $5 million grant to Housing Trust Fund Ventura County, enabling the nonprofit to establish a long-term loan program for affordable housing developers. The organization currently supports affordable housing for residents by providing short-term one to five-year loans to low-cost developers. The grant is expected to cover three to five loans in the next five years.
The Fresno City Council must approve Landalue Management's proposal for an 82-unit market rate apartment development in northwest Fresno, per a ruling by a Fresno County judge . Last year the city council voted 4-3 to uphold the city planning commission's rejection of the project. The judge found the city could not prove that the project did not meet its codes and general plan but did not agree with the allegation they rejected the proposal in bad faith. The court gave the city 60 days to vote on final conditions of approval.
The state has awarded $14 million to jumpstart environmental studies for a proposed 10-mile protected bikeway connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose, aimed at creating a safer, east-west route for cyclists. While advocates praise the project's safety benefits and long-term potential, concerns remain about its high cost, possible business impacts along El Camino Real and VTA’s ability to fund ongoing transit operations.
