7-story development approved for downtown Oceanside cinema complex

Oceanside’s City Council unanimously approved a seven-story building with 326 apartments, retail stores and restaurants Wednesday to replace the 2.7-acre Regal Cinema complex that opened as a downtown centerpiece in 2001 on Mission Avenue.

Last-minute modifications to the plans expanded a public plaza at the main entrance, a change designed to meet concerns raised at a previous meeting by residents and the City Council that the community area should be larger.

The Oceanside City Council appeared on track to deny the project at an Aug. 6 meeting, where three of the five council members sided with residents who said the proposed mixed-use building is not right for the site.

Their main objection was that the plaza at what is now the theater entrance on Mission Avenue would not be large enough in the new building. Facing a likely “no” vote, developer Ernie Rivas, vice president of J.H. Real Estate Partners in Newport Beach, asked for and received a continuance so the design could be modified.

“We redesigned the entire building,” Rivas said Wednesday.

The most notable change in the revisions is the expansion of the plaza area from the previous 9,449 square feet to 15,439 square feet. The developer also expanded the Mission Avenue-facing commercial space from 18,682 square feet to 26,490 square feet.

To make room for the larger plaza and more commercial space, the developers reduced the total apartments in the plan from 332 to 326, and cut parking spaces in the structure from the previous 592 to 554, which is still more than the minimum parking required. The four-level parking garage in the building will be accessed from the southern side on Seagaze Drive.

Also, a decorative tower was removed from the front of the building and a leasing office was moved from the ground floor to the second story to make more room for the plaza, shops and restaurants.

The building will have a mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments. It includes 33 apartments restricted as affordable housing, which is one less than in the previous plan.

“It’s just fantastic,” Mayor Esther Sanchez said of the revisions, adding that she expects the new building to become an “iconic” downtown destination.

“I appreciate the efforts,” said Councilmember Peter Weiss. “I think you took to heart the comments made about the plaza.”

The plaza must stay open to the public under an easement tied to the property through the city’s deal with the original developer. The new agreement with the J.H. Real Estate Partners, which has owned the property for about 10 years, adds 30 years to the easement that was set to expire in 2034, extending it to 2064.

The outdoor area has become a popular gathering spot, and since 2008 it has been home to community events, including the city’s annual Christmas tree and its lighting ceremony.

The redesigned plaza will be a be a rectangle, 250 feet long and 61 feet deep, of colored concrete along Mission Avenue, with three masonry pedestals for the display of public art. Rivas said he is working with the city to determine what the art will be.

Also on the plaza will be benches, tables and chairs beneath large umbrellas, along with landscaped planters and canopy trees, but no palm trees. Palm trees included earlier were removed at the public’s request.

The existing center, known as Ocean Place, was considered the keystone in Oceanside’s downtown renaissance when it opened, part of an effort to bring more people and commercial activity to the area.

However, the center has been struggling in recent years and is in “a state of decline,” said Manuel Baeza, the city’s principal planner.

Attendance at movie theaters nationwide dropped dramatically with the COVID pandemic that began in 2020 and has never fully recovered.

Four of the retail spaces in the complex, including the former Breakwater Brewing Company, are vacant. There is no on-site parking, and most of the nearby lots formerly used for parking have been covered by recent multi-story development.