ANAHEIM, CALIF. — The Samueli family, which owns the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, has announced plans for ocV!BE, a $3 billion entertainment and mixed-use district in Southern California.
The initial phases of the 115-acre project are expected to open in 2024, and the entire destination is scheduled for completion by the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. The development will surround Honda Center, where the Ducks play, and will feature a 6,000-seat concert venue, a 68,000-square-foot food hall and a variety of restaurants and retail establishments.
Additional uses will include two hotels totaling 650 rooms, a 325,000-square-foot office tower, 2,800 apartments with a 15 percent affordable housing component and 30 acres of parks and open green space. A network of pedestrian bridges and walkways will connect the various elements of the project, including a landmark bridge over Katella Avenue.
In 2018, the City of Anaheim and the Ducks committed to keep the team in Anaheim for another 50 years, paving the way for ownership to begin acquiring various tracts surrounding Honda Center. The project is entirely privately funded, and the development team will not seek a tax rebate or subsidy from the City of Anaheim.
Development of ocV!BE is expected to create about 13,000 construction jobs, and the development team projects that the district will create about 3,300 permanent jobs once complete.
“We are proud to present ocV!BE, the exciting next chapter for Honda Center and the surrounding area,” says Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli. “We are fully committed to Anaheim, and we believe this sustainable and integrated community will offer a unique and attractive lifestyle as well as create jobs, while also providing residents and visitors additional opportunities for premier live entertainment to complement our marquee Honda Center events.”
“The master plan of this 115-acre district will create a livable, balanced community that has long been envisioned for the Anaheim Platinum Triangle,” says Dan Young, lead master planner for the project. “ocV!BE will also link the district to the region’s broader assets including Angel Stadium and the Platinum Triangle, the growing Anaheim Resort District and the largest convention center on the West Coast.”
— Taylor Williams