California Construction News staff writer
Construction is getting underway on a long-vacant 30-acre site at Beach Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue in west Anaheim, where a new 140,000-sq. ft. shopping center is planned.
A ceremonial groundbreaking was held last week for 39 Commons, a phased development that will bring restaurants, retail, services and a grocery store to the northeast corner of Beach and Lincoln.
The first phase will include about 15,000 sq. ft. of retail space, with construction expected to be completed in 2028. Planned tenants include In-N-Out Burger, Dutch Bros and Dave’s Hot Chicken, along with other restaurants, stores and services.
A second phase, with a construction schedule yet to be determined, is expected to add a grocery store and additional retail and service uses.
The project marks a major redevelopment milestone for a site that has remained largely vacant for more than three decades and presented significant environmental and development challenges.
Part of the property was used as a landfill for construction and industrial waste beginning in the late 1950s. The former landfill required years of cleanup, monitoring and regulatory work before the property could be redeveloped.
Since 2023, work at the main portion of the site has included the final removal and replacement of soil, along with regulatory approvals needed to clear the way for construction.
The property also has a history as a go-kart track in the early 1960s and a mobile home park that operated from the mid-1960s until the mid-1980s. Shifting ground eventually contributed to the site’s long-term vacancy.
A separate portion of the property that was never part of the landfill was redeveloped as Nolin, a 65-unit townhouse community that opened in 2023.
The 39 Commons project is part of a broader effort to redevelop a 1.5-mile stretch of Beach Boulevard. Anaheim has spent more than $50 million over the past five years acquiring and closing nuisance motels, demolishing properties and upgrading infrastructure and streetscape improvements.
The work includes a modern underground electrical system, landscaping, signage and other improvements being carried out through the city’s Rebuild Beach initiative.
The redevelopment is intended to address longstanding problems along the corridor, including prostitution, human trafficking, drug activity and other public safety concerns.
Additional development is planned in the surrounding area. Anaheim is working with Irvine-based nonprofit developer Innovative Housing Opportunities on a 47-unit affordable housing project just south of Beach Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue. The project will provide housing for seniors and young adults and is expected to open in 2027.
The city is also evaluating additional housing and commercial projects as it continues efforts to transform the Beach Boulevard corridor.
The 39 Commons project is the latest step in turning a challenging former industrial site into a major commercial development while supporting broader infrastructure and redevelopment work along one of west Anaheim’s key corridors.
A summary of Anaheim’s plan to rebuild Beach is available at Anaheim.net/rebuildbeach.
