Newport Beach has never been a high-rise city. That’s changing.
A wave of proposed and approved residential towers is about to reshape the area around Fashion Island and Newport Center in ways the community hasn’t seen in decades. From luxury branded residences to the demolition of a beloved movie theater, the transformation is significant, and it’s moving fast.
Here’s a breakdown of every major development in play right now and the policy shifts making it all possible.
Why Newport Center Is Ground Zero for New Housing
Before getting into each project, it’s worth understanding why this is all happening now.
California’s Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) assigned Newport Beach an allocation of 4,845 new housing units for the 2021-2029 planning cycle, including 1,456 very-low-income units and 930 low-income units. For a city where land values rank among the highest in the state, that number was met with serious resistance.
The City Council adopted its certified Housing Element in September 2022, identifying six focus areas for future housing development: the Airport Area, West Newport Mesa, DoverWestcliff, Newport Center, Coyote Canyon, and Banning Ranch. Newport Center, historically dominated by office buildings and Fashion Island retail, was allocated 2,439 of those units, making it the single largest target zone for new residential construction.
To create additional zoning capacity, the city’s current housing plan accounts for 8,174 total units, nearly double the RHNA requirement. City officials have argued that this buffer is necessary to account for the challenges of developing affordable housing in a coastal market where land values make penciling affordable projects extremely difficult.
Not everyone agrees. The Responsible Housing Initiative, a voter-backed ballot measure spearheaded by former Mayor Duffy Duffield and the Coalition for Responsible Housing, will go before Newport Beach voters on November 3, 2026. The initiative would reduce the city’s planned housing capacity to 2,900 units, with more than two-thirds designated for low- and very-low-income households. Supporters argue the current plan amounts to a giveaway to developers and violates the Greenlight Initiative, a voter-approved law from 2000 requiring public approval for major changes to the city’s General Plan. The outcome of that vote will have a direct impact on several of the projects outlined below.
The Hotel-to-Residential Conversion That Unlocked It
One policy change in particular set the stage for the first major project on this list.
In March 2021, the Newport Beach City Council adopted Council Policy K-4, titled “Reducing the Barriers to the Creation of Housing.” The policy directed city staff to interpret ambiguities in the General Plan and zoning code in favor of housing production, and specifically encouraged the development of “mixed-use hotels,” allowing existing hotel properties to convert a portion of their rooms into permanent residences.
Community Development Director Seimone Jurjis subsequently issued a determination that residential uses were allowable as an “accessory use” to resort hotels, provided certain parameters were met. The decision was controversial. Opponents, including the group Still Protecting Our Newport (SPON), argued the policy circumvented the Greenlight Initiative and the California Coastal Commission’s oversight. The Planning Commission ultimately denied their appeal.
The policy created the legal framework for the largest single project currently planned in Newport Center.
The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Newport Beach
Location: 900 Newport Center Drive (VEA Newport Beach campus) Developer: Eagle Four Partners / Lyon Living Height: 22 stories Units: 159 branded residences Status: Approved; construction expected to break ground soon
This is the project that put Newport Center’s vertical ambitions on the map.
The Ritz-Carlton Residences will rise on the campus of the VEA Newport Beach, the former Newport Beach Marriott, which sits on roughly 10 acres across from Fashion Island. The plan calls for demolishing an older hotel tower and replacing it with a 22-story residential tower, converting 159 hotel rooms on a one-for-one basis into Ritz-Carlton-branded condominiums.
The project is the first to utilize the Policy K-4 hotel-to-residential conversion framework. To proceed under those terms, the developer is required to pay the city $100,000 per unit, with $65,000 of each payment earmarked for the purchase and construction of affordable housing in Newport Beach.
The entire campus, including the remaining 373-room VEA hotel and the new residential tower, will be managed by Marriott International (which owns the Ritz-Carlton brand) under the oversight of longtime general manager Debbie Snavely. The development includes a five-level subterranean parking structure with 408 spaces beneath the residential tower, plus a separate six-level garage serving the hotel.
What’s notable about this project, beyond its scale, is that it secured the blessing of SPON, the group that typically opposes large-scale development in Newport Beach. That coalitionbuilding between Eagle Four, Lyon Living, and community advocates created a template for navigating the city’s complex development politics.
Related California’s Big Newport / Regal Theater Redevelopment
Location: 210 and 300 Newport Center Drive Developer: Related California (Irvine-based unit of Related Companies) Height: Two 22-story towers (270 feet) Units: 150 condominiums Status: Planning Commission approved (March 2026); appeals pending before City Council
This one is going to change the conversation about Newport Center.
The Regal Edwards Big Newport Theater, which opened in 1969 and has served as the flagship of the Edwards cinema chain and the longtime home of the Newport Beach Film Festival, is set for demolition. The Edwards family has decided not to extend Regal’s operating agreement beyond June 2027, with reports suggesting the theater may close before the end of 2026.
Related California plans to replace the six-screen theater and a neighboring fitness facility at 210 Newport Center Drive with twin 22-story condominium towers on the 4.17-acre site. The development would include 150 for-sale units ranging from two to four bedrooms, approximately 2,100 to 6,400 square feet, along with penthouses, live-work offices, retail and cafe space, and resident amenities including pools and fitness areas. The two towers would be connected through a shared podium containing parking.
Jim Edwards III, whose father founded the theater company, offered his full support for the project at the Planning Commission hearing. He cited two decades of declining attendance, compounded by the lasting effects of COVID-19, as the driving forces behind the family’s decision.
The Planning Commission approved the project unanimously, but environmental and preservation groups have filed appeals with the City Council. None of the proposed condominiums would be offered below market rate.
Police Station / Civic Center Area: Emerging Long-Term Housing Potential
Location: 870 Santa Barbara Drive Current Use: Newport Beach Police Department headquarters Status: City evaluating relocation; site identified as future development opportunity
This one is still further out on the timeline, but it’s worth watching. The Newport Beach Police Department headquarters at 870 Santa Barbara Drive, originally acquired from The Irvine Company in 1973, is approaching the end of its useful life. The four-acre site, shared with Fire Station No. 3, no longer meets current seismic standards for essential facilities, and police operations have outgrown the existing building.
In November 2022, the City Council moved forward with the purchase of a $30.5 million office property at Dove Street near John Wayne Airport as a future relocation site. City staff estimated the Santa Barbara Drive property could hold an anticipated value of $55 million if entitled for development, making it one of the most valuable redevelopment parcels in Newport Center.
At a March 2026 City Council meeting, council members studied multiple sites for a new police station, including a location near the Civic Center. Council members have discussed selling the Santa Barbara Drive property to help fund construction of a new station. Once the police department relocates, the four-acre Santa Barbara Drive site, positioned in the heart of Newport Center, becomes a prime candidate for residential or mixed-use development.
No specific developer or residential project has been proposed for this site yet. But given its location, size, and the city’s housing obligations, it is one of the most consequential parcels to watch in the next three to five years.
The Car Wash Site: Residences at Newport Center
Location: 150 Newport Center Drive (at Anacapa Drive) Developer: Newport Anacapa Associates LLC Units: 28 condominiums (scaled down from an original 49-unit proposal) Status: Approved; construction anticipated 2026
This is the smallest of the Newport Center projects, but it’s a textbook example of how infill development is reshaping the district.
Newport Anacapa Associates acquired the 1.3-acre site of the former Beacon Bay Car Wash in 2014 for a reported $12.5 million, which at roughly $9.6 million per acre was among the highest per-acre prices for developable land in the county at the time. The ownership group includes former city officials and veteran local developers.
After an initial proposal for 49 units in a six-story building and a prior attempt at a 125-room boutique hotel, the project was scaled down to a four-story structure with 28 luxury condominiums over a two-level underground parking garage. The revised project has been approved, with construction expected to begin in 2026.
The Irvine Company’s Newport Center Apartment Pipeline
Locations: Multiple sites within Newport Center Developer: The Irvine Company Units: Up to 1,500 allocated within Newport Center Status: Planning Commission recommended approval (March 2025); awaiting City Council action
The Irvine Company, which owns the majority of Newport Center including Fashion Island, is making its largest residential investment in Newport Beach in years.
The Newport Beach Planning Commission voted 5-0 in March 2025 to recommend approval of amendments to the North Newport Center Planned Community (PC-56) that would allocate 1,500 dwelling units to The Irvine Company for future construction on housing sites within the district. The amendments also include increased building height limits for Fashion Island, Block 100, and San Joaquin Plaza, along with modified open space requirements, updated parking standards for residential, and new objective design standards.
Two specific projects are already taking shape:
The first is a proposed 600-unit apartment development at 100-190 Newport Center Drive (Block 100), which would replace approximately 141,000 square feet of existing office space with five-story, podium-type residential buildings.
The second is a 184-unit expansion of the Villas at Fashion Island at 800 San Clemente Drive, where demolition of an existing parking structure began in December 2025, with site grading and construction underway as of spring 2026 and completion expected by early 2028.
As part of its development agreement, The Irvine Company has committed to developing a minimum of 105 affordable housing units for very-low or low-income households by 2029 and has confirmed voluntary payment of approximately $9,000 per square foot in development impact fees.
How These Projects Impact Newport Beach Owners and Buyers
Taken together, these projects represent well over 1,500 new residential units concentrated in a roughly half-mile radius around Fashion Island and Newport Center Drive. The area is transitioning from a suburban office and retail district into something closer to a mixed-use urban center, calibrated to Newport Beach’s luxury market.
For existing homeowners and prospective buyers, a few things are worth keeping in mind.
The concentration of new high-rise product will create an entirely new category of housing inventory in Newport Beach. These are not competing with Peninsula oceanfront or Lido Isle waterfront homes. They represent a different buyer profile entirely: someone who wants walkable luxury, proximity to retail and dining, resort-level amenities, and a lock-and-leave lifestyle.
The Responsible Housing Initiative vote in November 2026 adds a layer of uncertainty. If passed, it could significantly reduce the total number of units the city zones for, potentially affecting projects that haven’t yet secured full entitlements.
What’s clear is that the Newport Beach skyline is about to look different. Whether you view these developments as a long-overdue evolution or a fundamental change to the city’s character depends on where you sit. Either way, they’re coming.
For a private conversation about how Newport Center’s development pipeline may affect your property’s value or your next purchase, [contact Tyler Brown at TylerBrownRE.com].
