Posted July 8, 2026 | Updated October 21, 2026 | By Eric Engelbert

October 2026 Update

Topic Latest
Sale Recorded June 16, 2026; Irvine Company paid $32.5 million for 1.26 acres
Use To be folded into Block 100; revised plans not yet released
Car wash Closed May 2026 after more than 51 years
Neighbors Big Newport Towers now fully approved; Block 100 zoning adopted 2025

This update also corrects the 2026 affordable housing income limits below.

For more than 51 years, the Newport Beach Car Wash sat at Newport Center Drive and Anacapa Drive, just inside the loop around Fashion Island. In May 2026 it closed, and in June the Irvine Company paid $32.5 million for the 1.26-acre lot, nearly three times the $11.8 million the last owners paid in 2014. It is now part of the Block 100 apartment project. See all new construction in Newport Beach.

Twelve Years, Three Plans, One Sale

Year Event
Mid-1970s Newport Beach Car Wash opens at 150 Newport Center Drive
2006 Then-Mayor Tod Ridgeway champions mixed use at Fashion Island in the General Plan update
2014 Ridgeway's Newport Anacapa Associates buys the site for $11.8 million
2014 to 2016 A 125-room hotel concept is pursued and does not move forward
2015 to 2017 A six-story, 49-condo concept is proposed, then scaled back
November 2020 EIR notice filed for a four-story, 28-condo plan with rooftop pool
2021 to 2025 Newport Center zoning changes raise heights and make the 28-unit plan obsolete
May 2026 Car wash closes
June 16, 2026 Irvine Company purchase records at $32.5 million

Tod Ridgeway's Long Bet on Mixed Use

Ridgeway, a former Newport Beach mayor, told the Orange County Business Journal: "When there was a general plan amendment in 2006, I championed mixed-use in Fashion Island. I did not have the unanimous support of the council at that point in time, but I was always a believer in mixed-use."

He was right about the direction but could not move fast enough. When the city raised height limits in Newport Center, his condo plan would have needed new environmental review and new approvals. "We were going to have to start all over to re-entitle our site," he said. "There was value created with the new height. Based upon time and place more than anything, we were in a position where it was beneficial for our business plan to go ahead and sell it."

On the closure: "It was sad to let it go," he said. "I'm happy to certainly move on."

What the Irvine Company Gets

At about $25.8 million per acre, the price sits in the same tier as the company's roughly $36.5 million purchase of 100 Newport Center Drive. The parcel fills a gap next to the Block 100 site, where the company plans up to 600 apartments designed by MVE + Partners. The Irvine Company said it will "seamlessly integrate" the car wash site. Adding 1.26 acres could support more than 600 units, but that would need new approvals.

Want updates as the Block 100 and car wash plans take shape?
Email Eric to join the Block 100 Newport Center update list or call/text 949-430-7500

Property Tax and Affordable Housing

The $32.5 million sale resets the parcel's assessed value, generating about $325,000 a year in base property tax, shared among the city, schools, county, and special districts. The larger increase comes when Block 100 is built.

Affordable homes in Block 100 will follow the Irvine Company's development agreement, which requires at least 105 very low or low income homes in Newport Center by 2029. Those homes are priced from Orange County income limits:

Income level (family of four) 2026 limit
Extremely low $55,850
Very low $93,050
Low $148,850
Moderate $166,300
Area median income About $138,600

Newport Beach uses Orange County income limits set by the state housing department (HCD), not Newport Beach incomes. Source: City of Newport Beach 2026 income limits.

Newport Center Pipeline

Project Homes Status
Big Newport Towers (Related California) 150 for-sale condos Approved; appeal denied April 2026
Ritz-Carlton Residences Up to 159 condos Approved 2022; not started
Villas Fashion Island Phase 2 184 apartments Under construction
Block 100 (Irvine Company) Up to 600 apartments Approved 2025

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 happened to the Newport Beach Car Wash?

It closed in May 2026 after more than 51 years. The Irvine Company bought the 1.26-acre site for $32.5 million in June 2026.

What will be built on the car wash site?

It will be folded into the Irvine Company's Block 100 apartment project. Revised plans have not been released.

Why did the owners sell?

Former Mayor Tod Ridgeway said rising height limits in Newport Center meant re-entitling the site from scratch, and selling made more sense.

Follow Newport Center's Transformation

I track every project around Fashion Island. Join the update list for Block 100, the Big Newport Towers, and more.

Email "Block 100 Newport Center" to join the update list

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