Garden Grove Pavillion Plaza Shopping Center - Urban Land Institute Technical Assistance Panel

On December 7, 2010, ULI Orange County/Inland Empire held a Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) for the City of Garden Grove. With the help of professionals with expertise in retail and commercial development, affordable housing, transit and ethnic demographics, the TAP studied a site once known as Pavilion Plaza Shopping Center. The site is a triangular parcel on the southwest corner of Brookhurst Street and West Chapman Avenue and contains a mix of office, financial, restaurants and retail uses. It is bounded by Brookhurst to the east, W. Chapman to the north, and bisected into a triangle by the Pacific Electric right-of-way to the south/west. The City recognized this intersection as a special commercial district, and in May of 1988, adopted the Brookhurst / Chapman Specific Plan, subsequently amended in March 2000. The City recently completed a General Plan update, and hired a local planning firm to prepare a Mixed Use Zoning code for various locations in the City.

Prior to conducting the TAP, the panelists met with City staff to discuss the City’s goals and considerations for the site, as well as document what the City would like to accomplish with the TAP. The City staff shared the site’s history and discussed the goals likely to be explored during the TAP process: 1) Assess community demographics; 2) Inventory transportation infrastructure, including pedestrian, vehicle, and transit; 3) Assess economic viability of existing commercial and its appropriateness based on demographics; 4) Evaluate multi-generational & cultural housing trends; and 5) Determine strategic outreach efforts. The panelists conducted extensive outreach with 17 stakeholders, a survey of local workers, and a walking tour of the site.

As a result of the panelists due diligence, resulted in findings and recommendations presented to the City. The recommendations focus on a mixed-use, multi-generational, multi-modal development solution. This solution is anticipated to respond to the ever-changing nature of the Pacific Electric right-of-way.

To read the full report of the Garden Grove TAP, click here.