Free Resources | Land Use | Model Projects

Brea, CA

Brea, CA Recaptures "Heart and Soul of the Community" with a New Downtown

In 1908 the town of Randolph — renamed Brea in 1911 — was established for oil workers and their families on a plateau next to the foothills at what is now the tip of Northern Orange County. As with most company towns, Union Oil Company played a major role in creating the town and determining its land uses. In 1925 the Oil Company entered the agricultural business when it contracted with a Ranch to cultivate roughly 2,100 unproductive acres with avocados and citrus.

During this time, Brea enjoyed relative prosperity, but when the Great Depression reached Southern California, Union Oil left Brea and sold their citrus holdings. With thousands of acres of former orchards free for development, rapid residential growth began. Brea's population increased from about 3,200 in 1950 to nearly 18,500 in 1970, nearly quintupling the number of housing units.

The construction of Highway 57 in 1972 and the development of new shopping centers drained the downtown. The decline of the old downtown along Brea Boulevard and nearby residential areas continued through the 1980s until City officials decided to intervene and organized a design charrette in 1989. The charrette resulted in a plan for the city to acquire the land downtown and rebuild it from scratch. Noted for its high level of public participation, residents played an important role in the process thus minimizing opposition to the project and supporting high-quality development. The area was reborn as the 60-acre Downtown District with a plan for creating a retail-rich, pedestrian-oriented mixed-use district that was developed with assistance from the planning and architecture firm RTKL.

The new downtown is centered around Birch Street Promenade — a pedestrian-friendly two-lane main street perpendicular to Brea Boulevard — located immediately behind a conventional shopping center. Downtown Brea boasts two cinemas with 22 screens, 62 live/work apartments, 40 townhomes, 200,000 square feet of commercial space and parking for over 2,000 cars. RTKL prepared detailed architectural control criteria which regulates the development in the new downtown. The buildings along Birch Street were designed by different architects and create a varied streetscape with retail, housing above retail, restaurants and movie theaters. The short two-block long Birch Street terminates at an art deco-style building. The other terminus is six-lane Brea Boulevard, which is lined with major retail anchors that are built to the sidewalk with parking in the rear, ample sidewalks and compact residential development. The City continues to attract high-quality retail development that is consistent with good urban design.

Birch Street Promenade accommodates automobiles, but caters to the pedestrian. Streets are narrow, with just enough room for parallel on-street parking. A variety of traffic calming measures, including mid-block crossings and bulb outs, keep vehicles moving slowly and make it safe for those on foot to cross the street. A mix of street furniture, landscaping and outdoor dining makes for a rich street experience. Downtown lofts and apartments — with a notable amount of affordable units — plus retail, dining and entertainment support a "24-7" atmosphere.

Immediately adjacent to Birch Street are the Ash Street Cottages, 96 single-family detached homes built in neo-traditional style in the mid 1990s. The cottages are a stone's throw away from the new downtown. City planning efforts have focused on creating connections between neighborhoods, retail, and downtown.

For more information, visit http://www.ci.brea.ca.us or contact the Economic Development Office at (714) 671-4485.

Return to Model Projects | Reports

Back to Top

Copyright © 2004-2008 Local Government Commission. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy
1303 J St., Ste 250, Sacramento CA, 95814 | 916-448-1198 voice | 916-448-8246 fax