Anaheim city officials have moved forward with a land swap near the city’s regional transportation center, allowing OC Vibe developers to build a digital art museum. This decision, unanimously approved by city council members last week, proceeds despite calls from California High Speed Rail Authority officials to delay the trade, who state it conflicts with their plans for a future high-speed rail station at the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC).
The exchange involves the city giving up a nearly 100,000 square foot lot with over 220 parking spaces. In return, the city will receive a nearly 142,000 square foot lot where an 1,840-space parking structure is under construction. Developers with OC Vibe, a mixed-use entertainment district planned around the Honda Center, intend to build the immersive museum on the traded land by 2032. If the museum is not built by then, OC Vibe is committed to giving both lots back to the city. City officials state that this swap is exempt from the state’s surplus land act.
High Speed Rail Authority officials, responsible for a bullet train system proposed to run from San Francisco to Anaheim, expressed significant concern. They noted that the land swap negatively impacts their plans for a future high-speed rail station at ARTIC. According to the Authority, an agreement was made at the end of 2020 with city officials to integrate the bullet train with ARTIC and the new entertainment district. Prior plans for the land the city is exchanging, referred to as Lot B, included a passenger terminal and power station for the Authority, and an office building for OC Vibe. LaDonna DiCamillo, Northern & Southern regional director of the Authority, conveyed in an August 25 letter to the city council that the Authority “cannot guarantee that new land use proposals on Parcel 5A/Lot B will allow for the shared use of the ARTIC station platforms for both future (High Speed Rail) and passenger rail services.” The Authority urged the council to review its commitments under the 2020 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and consider the long-term implications for connecting high-speed rail to ARTIC and other transit services.
Anaheim city officials offered differing perspectives on the conflict. Councilwoman Natalie Meeks argued that ARTIC is large enough to accommodate both projects and that Anaheim lacks sufficient museums. She stated that the city is "museum light" and "cultural light," viewing the museum as a step to fill this void. Mayor Ashleigh Aitken publicly inquired last week whether the Authority could sue the city, use eminent domain, or prevent the swap. City Attorney Rob Fabela responded that the 2020 agreement with the state’s high-speed authority was not binding. He stated, “The MOU that references the track for high-speed rails south of parking lot B – by its very terms, it’s not binding on the parties. It specifically says this is not binding.” Fabela added that he does not anticipate eminent domain as a solution.
Councilwoman Natalie Rubalcava highlighted the uncertainty surrounding the high-speed rail’s construction timeline and reiterated the city’s need for more museums. She suggested sending a message to Authority executives to affirm the city's value for the high-speed rail and its willingness to continue working together, assuring them that ARTIC can still function as a terminal.
The California high-speed rail project has been in development for approximately 18 years. Voters statewide approved a nearly $10 billion bond measure in 2008 to build an 800-mile high-speed rail network. The project, initially projected to be completed by 2020 at a cost of $33 billion, is now anticipated to connect San Francisco to Los Angeles and Anaheim by 2040, with a revised cost estimate of $126 billion, according to the Authority's 2026 draft business plan. The project has faced delays and budget increases.
