Downtown Plan Adds Single-Family Homes

The development of 25 single-family homes at Laurel Avenue and Birch Street will add an element of diversity to the revitalized downtown area, City Council members said as they approved the plan.

In addition to shopping and eating areas, the area will include townhomes and condominiums, now under construction. But until now there were no plans for new single-family homes.

Single-family housing downtown “was the predominant [type] that was there in the past, and I like that it’s coming back,” Councilwoman Bev Perry said. “It will be nice to have that mix.”

The homes will be built by the Olson Co., a Seal Beach-based developer that is currently constructing the Arbors, an adjacent townhome development that is selling at the brisk pace of five units a month, city officials said.

Included in the new development, called the Classics, will be two- and three-bedroom houses on lots of about 4,000 square feet. They will be priced at about $230,000 to $250,000. Five units will be priced lower to meet affordable-housing standards.

The project is part of a city effort to improve the area. The city bought nearly 3 acres several years ago after homes became rundown and overcrowded.

The city spent about $3.3 million to buy the land, relocate the residents and demolish the homes, according to city documents.

Officials expect to receive about $1.4 million from the land sale, taxes and other fees, for a net city cost of about $1.9 million.

“I think we’re getting a good return on our investment,” Perry said.