Development pipeline and vacant Garvey Avenue lot
Monterey Park
Summary
Staff showed a long list of housing and commercial projects in various stages, and council members grew impatient with the owner of the long-vacant 808 West Garvey Avenue lot, asking staff to pressure them to build. Members also worried rising interest rates could stall projects across the pipeline.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 5
- Last 30 days
- 1
Discussed at 1 meeting in the last 60 days; most recently Oct 21, 2026.
Impact analysis
New projects mean future property and sales tax revenue; the vacant lot generates little in the meantime.
Residents gain housing options, dining, and jobs as projects complete.
Neighbors of stalled sites see continued blight; housing needs remain unmet while projects sit in review.
Mentions & discussions (5)
City Council - Oct 21, 2026
Staff showed a long list of housing and commercial projects in various stages, and council members grew impatient with the owner of the long-vacant 808 West Garvey Avenue lot, asking staff to pressure them to build. Members also worried rising interest rates could stall projects across the pipeline.
City Council - Aug 5, 2026
A long-vacant two-acre corner at Garvey and Garfield will get a seven-story building with 169 apartments, ground-floor shops, a public plaza and $400,000 in city fund contributions. Construction could start in November and wrap by mid-2028.
City Council - Jul 15, 2026
The city wants voter permission to add housing overlays on vacant commercial and industrial land — a response to empty storefronts, the data center ban, and a state mandate to plan for 5,257 new housing units. Voters decide in November 2026.
City Council - May 20, 2026
Mayor Pro Tem Lo called the 111 North Atlantic shopping center blighted and pushed for the owner to appear before the council or face 'carrots and sticks.' Staff noted code enforcement involvement and will schedule a future agenda item.
City Council - May 6, 2026
The city is unwinding its failed development deal with Center Int'l Investments and repealing the 16-home Goodviews Specific Plan so the six-acre hillside site can be marketed as higher-density R-3 residential — potentially up to 186 units — to maximize sale value.
Related development
Goodviews Specific Plan Repeal / Development Agreement No. 21-01 Termination
Restores potential for up to 155 units under R-3 zoning, but any future development would face full review, hillside restabilization requirements, and council approval.
808 West Garvey Avenue Development
A visible empty lot at a key intersection that council members want developed — or at least temporarily activated — after years of inactivity.
McDonald's Restaurant at 720 West Garvey Avenue
A new fast-food option with a drive-through is cleared to move forward on Garvey Avenue.
114 E. Garvey Avenue Mixed-Use Development (DA-26-01 / TM 26-05)
Activates a vacant downtown corner with housing, shops and a public plaza, though some worry about parking and market-rate rents.
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