Laguna Niguel City Center Mixed Use Project

Applicant Team

Laguna Niguel Town Center Partners, LLC (Burnham Ward Properties/Sares Regis Group). To view the Applicant team's website for the project, please CLICK HERE.

Project Location

The project site (APN 656-242-18), approximately 25 acres in area, is owned by the County of Orange. The property consists of the South County Justice Center (closed in 2008), Orange County Library, County maintenance yard, Orange County Fire Authority Station No. 5, and undeveloped land. The site is immediately adjacent to City Hall. The site is generally bounded by Pacific Island Drive to the north, Alicia Parkway to the east, Crown Valley Parkway to the south, and multifamily residential communities to the west.

Project Description

As described by the Applicant team (Laguna Niguel Town Center Partners, LLC), the general vision of the Laguna Niguel City Center Mixed Use Project is to create a “downtown” environment that features specialty retail, restaurants, office, community-oriented event/programmable spaces, integrated residential apartment homes, a new community library, and extensive walkable open spaces, paseos, and plazas.

The proposal includes approximately 175,000 square feet of commercial and civic uses and 275 multifamily residential units. The commercial component would include approximately 158,600 square feet of commercial space with a wide range of uses, such as restaurants, retail shops, health/wellness-focused retail and medical office, and creative office space. The civic space is comprised of a new and larger county library (approximately 16,300 square feet with over 2,600 square feet of additional outdoor programmable space), which would replace the existing library (approximately 14,400 square feet with limited outdoor space). The residential component of the proposed project would consist of two separate apartment buildings, one 200-unit apartment building and one 75-unit apartment building. 

Current Project Status 

The project was approved by City Council on June 21, 2022. 

Future Meetings

None scheduled at this time.

Past Meetings

• July 23, 2019 - Community meeting in which the Applicant team provided an overview of their vision for the mixed use project. Following the meeting, the Applicant team had a Press Release. 
• November 4, 2019 - City staff hosted an open house meeting in which the community was able to learn more about the mixed use project and City review process (EIR and associated entitlements) from City staff and the Applicant team.
• November 13, 2019 - Scoping Meeting for the City Center Mixed-Use Project EIR.
• May 24, 2022 - The Laguna Niguel Planning Commission conducted a public hearing to consider the City Center Mixed-Use Project. The Planning Commission took action adopting Resolution Nos. 22-02 through 22-07 recommending that the City Council approve the project.
• June 21, 2022 - The Laguna Niguel City Council conducted a public hearing to consider the Laguna Niguel City Center Mixed-Use Project. The City Council took action adopting Resolution Nos. 2022-1396 through 2022-1399 to approve the project and introducing Ordinance Nos. 2022-216 and 2022-217 for first reading.
• July 19, 2022 - The Laguna Niguel City Council took action adopting Ordinances Nos. 2022-216 and 2022-217. Ordinance No. 2022-216 creates a new "Mixed-Use Town Center" (MU-TC) District for the Laguna Niguel City Center Mixed-Use Project. Ordinance Nos. 2022-217 changes the zoning on the project site from "Community Commercial" (CC) and "Publish/Institutional (PI)" to MU-TC District, excluding OCFA Fire Station No.5 (to remain PI). 

City Staff Contact

John Morgan, Development Services Manager
jmorgan@cityoflagunaniguel.org
Telephone: 949-362-4332

Important Documents

Laguna Niguel Library FAQs

Notice of Preparation and Scoping Meeting, November 1, 2019

Notice of Availability

Laguna Niguel City Center Mixed Use Project - DEIR

Planning Commission Notice, May 24, 2022

Laguna Niguel City Center Mixed Use Project - FEIR

• FEIR Appendices
• Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations
• Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
• Post EIR 22-01 Review Period (Supplemental Comments & Responses)

Staff Report for Laguna Niguel Planning Commission on May 24, 2022

Staff Report for Laguna Niguel City Council on June 21, 2022

Notice of Determination

Project Renderings