Clinking silverware was the only sound as Fullerton’s Mayor approached the podium to give the first in-person State of the City address in five years. Information about plans for affordable housing, new jobs, and the reopening of the Fox Theatre seemed to energize the crowd.
The State of the City address and luncheon was hosted at the Cal State Fullerton Student Union on Wednesday.
At the address, Fullerton Mayor Fred Jung announced a number of new projects the city will be working on in the next few years under the slogan “Moving Fullerton Forward.”
City and school officials, lawyers, spokespeople, and businesses all attended the event. North Orange County Chamber CEO Andrew Gregson and CSUF President Fram Virjee also gave short speeches before Jung.
Attendees also heard from local council members in a video that provided information about the city’s residential and commercial development plans.
College students may be particularly excited to hear about the development of a student-oriented housing project dubbed The Hub at Fullerton. The proposal for affordable student housing on Chapman Avenue plans to create a 420-unit development with retail space.
Jung said developments on The Hub can be expected within the next year.
“Anything that is going to add to our housing stock counts for affordability. Anything that allows students, first-time home buyers, first-time renters, to afford to live in the city is a positive step forward.”
Additional affordable housing plans are also in the works on Lemon Street, Highland Avenue and Rosecrans Drive.
Streetlights at Fullerton proposes a five-story apartment building holding 329 units on Lemon Street. An accompanying six-story parking structure was also proposed.
Casa Bella is an apartment project that plans to open 20 apartments to Fullerton residents on Highland Avenue.
The Pines at Sunrise Village is a plan to redevelop retail space into a residential living space with 115 units. This community will be located on Rosecrans and Euclid.
Jung’s presentation also included an announcement for the Fox Block Redevelopment project. The City is partnering with the Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation to restore the Fox Theatre and open it to the public.
“The chain link fence is coming down,” Jung said. “My hope is it will finally be open for this generation to go and see this marvel of architecture and history for our city.”
The crowd applauded the news.
Additional topics of discussion included $13.1 million which is going towards street development, with a focus on Orangethorpe Avenue, Euclid Street, and Rosecrans Drive.
There are also plans for Goodman Logistics to build a location in Fullerton off of Orangethorpe and Acacia Avenue.
The project site will be redeveloped to hold a campus consisting of four buildings to be used for warehouse space and loading docks. Jung said this endeavor will introduce thousands of jobs to Fullerton residents.
Jung wants to ensure the community that sustainability is in mind with all current and future city programs.
An example of this is a plan for a portion of the city’s light poles to be switched to energy-saving LED bulbs. With proposals such as this and the renewable energy plan from earlier this year, Fullerton residents can expect to see more sustainability programs coming from the City Council.
“Climate change is the most existential threat to our world as a whole. I’m really excited that Fullerton has taken conservation and sustainability seriously,” said Jung.
