After 6 Years of Delay, Plaza Almeria Project Gets Construction OK

A $24-million downtown project that would mix townhouses, shops, restaurants and offices can move forward after six years of delays, now that the City Council has denied an appeal by nearby homeowners and business owners.

But before the vote at Monday’s council meeting, one downtown Huntington Beach resident said he believes a city employee tried to intimidate him from opposing the Plaza Almeria project.

Assistant City Administrator Ray Silver is looking into the contention, to clarify what happened and to determine if a city worker was involved.

Despite the controversy, the council voted 5 to 1 to let the plaza go forward. Sullivan opposed and Councilwoman Pam Julien was absent.

Developer John Tillotson said he is elated that construction can begin after a “long, hard process.” The first of the 45 townhomes is scheduled to open in about a year, with commercial sites to follow.

Tillotson foresees the project, on the city block bordered by Main and 5th streets and Olive and Orange avenues, as a slice of San Francisco, Paris or Rome.

“It’s a lifestyle that some people adore and others hate, and if you don’t like it, don’t live there,” Tillotson said. “We have plenty of areas in the county that are suburbia.”

But Bob Bolen, a downtown real estate broker who was one of eight people who spoke against the project Monday, said that even if plaza residents think they know what they’re getting into, some will later complain about noise and other inconveniences from the neighboring businesses.