By Eric Engelbert
A nearly one-acre stretch of Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach that spent close to a century producing oil is being transformed into 10 detached luxury oceanfront residences priced from $7 to $8 million each. The project at 1810 PCH is one of the most significant new-construction coastal opportunities to reach the Orange County market in years. Construction is underway and homes are expected to become available in 2026.
From Oil Field to Oceanfront Living
The strip of coastline between Goldenwest Street and Seapoint Street along PCH has been tied to oil and gas production for close to 100 years, part of the historic Huntington Beach Oil Field that once made this city one of the top oil-producing regions in California. WJK Development Co., an Irvine-based firm, purchased the nearly one-acre oceanfront parcel from California Resources Corp. of Long Beach for $10.3 million in 2024.
The acquisition required a complex due diligence process that included a nearby abandoned oil well production site. After clearing those environmental hurdles, WJK secured final approval from the California Coastal Commission, one of the most rigorous regulatory bodies in the state for any coastal development. That approval marked the turning point from a remediated industrial site to a shovel-ready residential project.
The Development: What Is Being Built
The project calls for 10 detached homes designed by Danielian Associates, each rising three levels to a maximum height of 35 feet. Individual homes range from approximately 3,800 to 4,100 square feet and will feature rooftop decks, pools, spas, and unobstructed views of Catalina Island and the open Pacific. Garages accommodate two to three cars and are accessed from a rear alley, keeping the entire PCH frontage open to preserve ocean views from street level.
Four of the ten homes will include ground-level accessory dwelling units (ADUs) ranging from 412 to 458 square feet, consistent with California's requirement to integrate ADU capacity into new residential projects. The total development value is approximately $70 million.
Each home is expected to be priced between $7 million and $8 million depending on size and specific features. The site sits just south of Goldenwest Street and roughly one mile north of the Huntington Beach Pier, placing it in one of the most desirable stretches of coastline in the county.
Timeline and Current Status
Grading on the site began in late 2025 following receipt of all final approvals. Completion is targeted for 2026. Given the pricing and the scarcity of true oceanfront new construction in Orange County, these homes could sell before the project reaches completion. Buyers who want a realistic chance at one of these properties should be positioning themselves now rather than waiting for a listing to hit the MLS.
WJK Development raised equity for the project quickly after purchasing the land, a sign of strong investor confidence in the demand for this type of coastal product.
Why Oceanfront New Construction Is So Rare in Orange County
True oceanfront land in Orange County is essentially gone. The coast is built out. What exists is protected by the California Coastal Commission, which oversees any development within the coastal zone with strict standards for height, setback, public access, and environmental impact. New oceanfront construction clears those standards rarely and at great cost in time and regulatory effort. The 1810 PCH project took years of approvals to reach groundbreaking.
For Huntington Beach real estate specifically, new oceanfront inventory at this scale has not come to market in years. When it does appear, it tends to move quickly and often off-market before public listings are ever published.
If you are exploring coastal options beyond this specific project, these searches may also be useful:
What This Means for the Huntington Beach Market
This project is one more signal that Huntington Beach is maturing as a luxury coastal market. The successful conversion of a former industrial site into a high-end residential community reflects both the city's changing identity and the depth of demand for oceanfront living in Orange County. When land that spent a century producing oil is now worth $10 million per acre as residential dirt, that tells you something about where the market has gone and where it is heading.
For buyers at the luxury level, understanding how to position for properties like this before they hit the open market is the difference between getting a call and missing the opportunity entirely. That is exactly the kind of strategic groundwork we do for clients at Orange County Real Estate, Inc.
What Smart Buyers Should Ask Before Writing a $7 Million Check
The ocean views at 1810 PCH will be spectacular. They will also be the first thing a buyer sees, and for some buyers, the last thing they critically examine. That is a mistake that can cost far more than the price of the home.
This site spent close to 100 years as an active oil production zone. Petroleum-contaminated soil and groundwater can contain benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (collectively known as BTEX) along with total petroleum hydrocarbons, methane, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Benzene in particular is a known human carcinogen. These compounds do not necessarily disappear when a site is remediated. They can migrate through soil vapor and enter a structure through the foundation, a process called vapor intrusion, without any visible sign that it is occurring.
Huntington Beach has a specific code, City Specification 429, that governs development within its methane district. It requires methane gas testing, documentation of all oil and gas wells within or near the property, and determines whether a Vapor Intrusion Mitigation System (VIMS) must be engineered into the structure. Any abandoned wells on or near the site must also be certified by CalGEM, the California Geologic Energy Management Division, to current re-abandonment standards, which are substantially more rigorous than what was required decades ago when many of these wells were originally capped.
WJK's CEO publicly acknowledged navigating "a complicated due diligence process" involving a nearby abandoned oil well production site. The California Coastal Commission approved the project following its own environmental review. What is not publicly available are the specific soil testing results, groundwater sampling data, or the conditions of approval that may govern ongoing monitoring at the site.
Before purchasing on any former oil field site, a buyer should independently request and review:
- Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessment reports
- CalGEM well abandonment certifications for any wells on or near the parcel
- Methane and soil vapor testing results required under HB City Specification 429
- Documentation of any Vapor Intrusion Mitigation System designed into the structure
- Any conditions of approval from the Coastal Commission or city related to ongoing environmental monitoring
- The full Natural Hazard Disclosure report and Transfer Disclosure Statement, read carefully
California law requires sellers to disclose known environmental hazards. But disclosure only covers what is known and what is asked. A buyer who does not independently request these documents and have them reviewed by a qualified environmental consultant is relying on the seller's disclosures alone, which is not adequate due diligence for a purchase of this size on a site with this history.
None of this means these homes should not be purchased. It means they should be purchased with full information. The developer completed a regulated approval process, and Huntington Beach's building requirements are designed to address exactly these risks. But the question of whether those requirements were satisfied, and what was found in the process, is one every serious buyer should be able to answer before closing. We help our clients get those answers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are the new oceanfront homes being built in Huntington Beach?
The 10 luxury homes are being built at 1810 Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach, just south of Goldenwest Street and approximately one mile north of the Huntington Beach Pier. The nearly one-acre oceanfront site was purchased by WJK Development from California Resources Corp. for $10.3 million in 2024.
How much do the new PCH oceanfront homes in Huntington Beach cost?
Each of the 10 homes is expected to be priced between $7 million and $8 million, making the total project value approximately $70 million. Prices will vary based on size and features. The homes range from 3,800 to 4,100 square feet across three levels with rooftop decks, pools, spas, and unobstructed Catalina Island views.
What was previously on the 1810 PCH site in Huntington Beach?
The stretch of Pacific Coast Highway between Goldenwest Street and Seapoint Street was dedicated to oil and gas production for close to 100 years, part of the historic Huntington Beach Oil Field. WJK Development navigated a complex due diligence process involving a nearby abandoned oil well production site before receiving final approval from the California Coastal Commission.
What environmental due diligence should buyers do before purchasing on a former oil field site?
Buyers should independently request and review Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessment reports, CalGEM well abandonment certifications for any wells on or near the parcel, methane and soil vapor testing results required under Huntington Beach City Specification 429, and documentation of any Vapor Intrusion Mitigation System built into the structure. California law requires sellers to disclose known hazards, but disclosure only covers what is known and what is asked. Independent review by a qualified environmental consultant is recommended for any purchase on a site with a history of oil production.
Interested in One of These Oceanfront Homes?
Properties like these often sell before they reach the open market. If you are serious about oceanfront living in Huntington Beach, let's talk now and build a strategy before these homes are released.
