Seven-story Cambodia Town project includes 38 moderate-income units, 6,556 SQFT of retail and 91 parking spaces
As cities across California work to align zoning with housing mandates, a newly entitled project in Long Beach illustrates how state density laws are reshaping urban corridors. At 400 E. Anaheim St., Helot Development is moving forward with a seven-story, 161-unit mixed-use development designed by RC Architecture, replacing an aging single-story commercial building with a mid-rise complex that stretches the length of the parcel.
Burnham Development, which assisted in securing entitlements, announced that approvals are now in place for the project in the Cambodia Town neighborhood along the Anaheim Street corridor. The development required a Site Plan Review for the demolition of an existing 9,000-square-foot multi-tenant commercial structure and its associated surface parking.
The approved plan calls for a 215,628-square-foot building rising 85 feet, with 161 residential units above 6,556 square feet of ground-floor commercial space. Of the total units, 38 will be reserved for moderate-income households, a component made possible through California’s Enhanced Density Bonus provisions. Parking for 91 vehicles and 106 bicycle stalls will be incorporated into the structure on the 1.03-acre site.
To achieve the project’s density, the development team relied on Senate Bill 330, which allowed application of the city’s Downtown Plan Planned Development District (PD-30) standards. According to CEQA filings, the city determined that the PD-30 standards were compatible with the site’s Transit Oriented Development-Moderate designation under the General Plan. The density bonus also enabled regulatory concessions, including two additional stories of height beyond what underlying zoning would have permitted.
Architecturally, the building is organized as a long-bar structure surrounding a central open-air courtyard. Residential offerings will include a mix of studios, one- and two-bedroom units, along with several street-facing townhomes intended to activate the sidewalk along Anaheim Street. The ground floor retail frontage is designed with transparent storefronts and recessed entries, creating a continuous street wall while separating commercial uses from the residential levels above. Renderings show a facade articulated through stacked balconies, varied window groupings and darker framing elements. Vertical fins highlight the courtyard entry, while a mural-scale graphic element at the corner marks the building’s presence along the corridor without materially altering its overall massing.
The entitlement process also reflects a broader policy shift. By leveraging SB 330 and density bonus law, the team aligned the project with Long Beach’s housing production goals while maintaining consistency with the General Plan framework. The inclusion of 38 moderate-income units represents nearly one-quarter of the project’s total residential count, adding workforce housing within an established neighborhood. The proposal is scheduled for review by the Long Beach Planning Commission as part of the city’s standard approval process.
