Worth the Wait: Ventura Triangle Rising

Permits have been pulled on a rare, large, oceanfront parcel on the California coast!  The 231-unit Ventura Triangle project, adjacent to downtown and steps to the beach via an existing footbridge over the 101 freeway, has been in the works for some fifteen years.  It began with the City’s Downtown Specific Plan, General Plan, and Comprehensive Plan (Local Coastal Program) outlining definitive goals and objectives for the site.  Working within the tightly-established constraints, WHA and Johnson Development Associates (JDA) designed a unique coastal enclave inspired by Ventura’s Foster Library and other mid-century architectural motifs.

The nearly 11-acre site, separated from the downtown by an active railway, stitches together the town and the beach with a new blufftop promenade, and an extension of Ash Street that meanders through the site.  At the junction of the town and the footbridge, a new park will feature an annex of the Ventura Botanical Garden, a food truck pad and future bike share station.  Eleven unique buildings in “mansion” and “stacked dwelling” configurations were conceived to be a family (siblings and cousins, no identical twins) to balance variety and consistency.

The buildings are composed in 2-, 3-, and 4-stories, incorporating live-work and co-working spaces, gardens, overlooks, and a spectacular centralized pool/recreation complex with sunset view terraces.  Approximately 85% of the units will have ocean views.   Durable materials designed to withstand the exposed coastal environment will be employed to reduce maintenance.

The City’s rigorous approval process included several intensive hearings with the Design Review Committee who scrutinized the details of the proposal.  At these meetings, our project was supported by a large group of residents and business owners.  One such DRC session was scheduled for the second day of the massive December 2017 Thomas Fire.  The City Hall was evacuated, freeways closed, and the Ventura Botanical Gardens adjacent to City Hall were lost.  The hearing was postponed for two weeks, but when held, a resident stated that two weeks ago, we needed this project – today we desperately need this project after the loss of so many homes!

Construction is expected to begin soon with estimated completion in late-summer 2020.