Posted July 26, 2026 | Updated October 21, 2026 | By Eric Engelbert

October 2026 Update

Topic Latest
Application PR2024-0500
Status Early review; no unit count, design, or hearing date released as of October 2026
Area West Newport Mesa, where the city's overlay allows up to 1,107 homes

A new apartment building is planned at 1526 Placentia Avenue in West Newport Mesa, replacing a 1966 neighborhood liquor store. Cefalia Development filed application PR2024-0500 with the city. It is a small project, but it is part of a bigger shift on the West Side. Read our West Newport Mesa and Dover-Westcliff roundup or browse new construction in Newport Beach.

What We Know

Detail 1526 Placentia Avenue
Developer Cefalia Development
Application PR2024-0500
Former use 2,700 sq ft convenience store built in 1966
Lot 0.35 acres with 69 feet on Placentia Avenue
Zoning RM (Residential Medium Density)
Land value About $3.7 million assessed at sale
Not yet released Project name, unit count, height, groundbreaking, completion
Want an alert when unit count and timing are released?
Email Eric to join the 1526 Placentia Apartments update list or call/text 949-430-7500

About Cefalia Development

Cefalia Development is led by Jeff Cefalia, a licensed general contractor (Class A and B) and real estate broker based in Costa Mesa. The firm builds custom luxury homes in Newport Beach, handles infrastructure and right-of-way work, and develops multifamily housing in Orange County.

Why It Is Worth Watching

This stretch of Placentia is close to the beach and bike paths and surrounded by homes, and new apartments here are rare. A buyer paying about $3.7 million in land value to build rentals signals confidence in West Side rental demand. Older retail on RM-zoned lots in this corridor has been steadily replaced by housing.

Other West Side Projects

Project Homes Status
West Newport Mesa and Dover-Westcliff Includes 89 Monrovia homes Mixed
Newport Village, Mariners' Mile 198 homes In environmental review

Browse Newport Beach rentals.

What Measure H Means Here

Newport Beach voters decide Measure H on November 3, 2026. It would cut the city's housing capacity from 8,174 homes to 2,900, all for lower and moderate income households. The state housing department (HCD) has said projects that filed applications before a measure like this passes generally keep the rules in place when they filed, so approved projects are expected to proceed either way. Future projects face more uncertainty. See our Newport Beach Housing Element post for the full breakdown.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is planned at 1526 Placentia Avenue?

A new apartment building by Cefalia Development replacing a former convenience store. Unit count and design have not been released.

When will 1526 Placentia be built?

No timeline has been announced. The project is in early city review as of October 2026.

Get 1526 Placentia Updates

I will let you know when the unit count, design, and timing are released, plus other West Side projects.

Email "1526 Placentia Apartments" to join the update list

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