From Potholes to Condos

Anaheim's Stadium Lofts Opens This Month

By David Silva

The residential phase of Windstar Communities' Stadium Lofts is scheduled to open this month in Anaheim-just two months after the San Diego developer received city approval to convert the apartment portion of the mixed-use project into luxury condominiums.

Windstar broke ground on the $77 million development in December 2004. The six-acre project includes 390 residential lofts and flats, an 8,100-sq.-ft. restaurant and 9,817 sq. ft. of retail and clubhouse space at Katella Avenue and State College Boulevard.

Stadium Lofts is the first major development to open in Anaheim's "Platinum Triangle," a 120-acre mixed-use overlay zone that the city hopes will revitalize the area around Angel Stadium.

"Stadium Lofts is going to provide new housing opportunities that don't presently exist in the city," said Anaheim Planning Director Sheri Vander Dussen. "It's an opportunity for people to live in an urban environment, for employment, shopping, dining and entertainment, all within walking distance. We think it's going to enhance tourism and convenience in Anaheim."


The road to this month's opening of Stadium Lofts had its share of potholes. A fire at the project site last summer delayed the opening by six months. In March, Windstar incurred the ire of two Anaheim City Council members when it requested city approval to convert the project's 390 apartment units to luxury condos. Despite publicly voiced concerns by council members Lorri Galloway and Richard Chavez that the loss of hundreds of apartments would further exacerbate the city's affordable housing crunch, the council approved Windstar's request.

Suffolk Construction of Irvine is the project's general contractor, and Newman Garrison Gilmour + Partners (formerly Meeks + Partners) of Newport Beach is the primary architect.

Newman Garrison Gilmour used a six-color theme and a series of decorative wrought-iron treatments on Stadium Loft's exterior as part of the Newport firm's "interpretation of the Frank Lloyd Wright prairie architecture style," said company chairman Kevin Newman.

Roy Aguirre, project architect for Newman Garrison Gilmour, said his greatest challenge was designing an appealing mixed-use project surrounded on four sides by public right-of-way.

Established three years ago as a way to boost tax revenue while dramatically increasing available housing, Anaheim's Platinum Triangle permits industrial, office and retail uses in an 820-acre zone around Angel Stadium. City officials say the zone will bring 9,175 residential units, 2 million sq. ft. of retail space and 5 million sq. ft. of office space to the area by 2015. Presently, applications for more than 4,000 housing units in the zone have been received by the city, including Miami-based Lennar Homes' 2,681-unit A-Town, L.A.-based KB Home's 266-unit Gateway Centre and Beazer Homes of Atlanta's 263-unit Platinum Centre.

Stadium Lofts includes 14 floor plans ranging from 550-sq.-ft. studios to a 1,398-sq.-ft. unit with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a den. Outdoor amenities include a recreation center with a pool and spa area; outdoor lounge with a fireplace, barbecue, and covered seating; active and passive courts, and courtyards adorned with fountains.

"The location of the project and the fact it's the first one in the Platinum Triangle is what separates it from other loft projects," said Windstar principal Eric Heffner. "As for the business environment, the city of Anaheim has been spectacular to work with. By far, they've been the best municipality we've ever dealt with."