La Habra Boulevard Corridor

This Demonstration Project provided design concepts and policy recommendations to improve the economic performance, functionality, and identity of the La Habra Boulevard corridor.

Goals

• Create a unique identity for the corridor
• Improve the pedestrian experience
• Create a vibrant downtown
• Increase transit options

Beginning in 2003, the five North Orange County Cities (NOCC) Brea, Fullerton, La Habra, Placentia and Yorba Linda undertook a cooperative effort to define a vision for transit in North Orange County. The project has received grant funding from Compass Blueprint, the Reduce Orange County Congestion (ROCC) program, and the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Go Local program to explore opportunities for transit-oriented development around an emerging high-capacity transit system.

In La Habra, the La Habra Boulevard Corridor was once the commercial center for the City.  However, it now suffers from the type of disinvestment that is common in the region’s strip commercial corridors.  The existing strip retail along La Habra Boulevard competes with strip retail along Whittier, Harbor, and Beach Boulevards to the north, east, and west.  These competing corridors carry more traffic and makes shopping more convenient than centers along La Habra Boulevard.  In order for La Habra Boulevard to be successful, the corridor must offer a unique experience the competing corridors lack.  La Habra Boulevard must become a destination where people want to go spend their time.

Results

• Downtown redevelopment area of 41 acres
• Design prototypes, urban design recommendations, and visualizations
• Reconfigure the boulevard
• Guiding principles for land use concepts and policy recommendations
  • Utilize redevelopment area
  • Explore public/private partnerships
  • Implement a business improvement district
• Development scenarios for a typical block along the corridor .93 acres in size
  • Scenario 1:  One-story commercial building with 16,200 sq. ft. of office space
  • Scenario 2:  63 senior for-sale residential units; 5,000 square foot ground floor activity area
  • Scenario 3: 12 live/work units; 6,200 sq. ft. of retail/commercial space
• Next steps for guiding future changes along the corridor