Council hears update on Rebuild Beach initiative; 39 Commons retail phase moving toward remediation and construction

City staff gave the council an update on the Rebuild Beach initiative and the status of the long-running 39 Commons redevelopment at Beach Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue.

Deputy City Manager Ted White described the program as a multi-department effort to reduce crime and blight and to spur private investment along the 1.5-mile corridor. He said the city completed the relinquishment of Beach Boulevard from Caltrans in October 2024, enabled a median landscaping program and a $25 million utility-undergrounding project set for late 2025 completion.

Staff outlined public-safety actions by the Anaheim Police Department in 2024, including high-visibility enforcement, monthly prostitution enforcement with the regional human-trafficking task force, search warrants targeting illicit operations, and deployment of cameras and automated license-plate readers. White said these actions are part of a broader strategy of "compassion first, enforcement last."

Property and development staff described 39 Commons as a 30-acre site composed of four former landfill pits. The developer completed a 65-unit townhome phase; the current phase is a retail pad with confirmed tenants including In-N-Out, Dave's Hot Chicken and Dutch Bros and is in plan check. The city reported that remediation of the Davis Mud Pit is underway and is expected to be complete in the late second or third quarter of this year; construction on retail is expected to follow.

Staff acknowledged the site's technical challenges: landfill gas systems, monitoring wells, and the need for pile foundations in landfill areas. They said remediation work is overseen by state and county regulators and that private financing for the retail phase is in place. Councilmembers praised the multi-department effort and asked staff to continue outreach and agency coordination. No council vote was required on the information item.