Projects Reshaping Laguna

Five consequential changes for a small city

Laguna’s biggest changes aren’t coming from conventional retail or office development. They’re being driven by philanthropy, public investment, affordable-housing finance and hospitality capital, while one essential community institution may disappear.

LCAD’s Big Bend campus

A $100 million campaign, anchored by a $40 million gift, for a 22,000-square-foot building that begins consolidating Laguna College of Art & Design’s academic programs at its Big Bend site in the Canyon. It could further strengthen the Canyon’s role as Laguna’s creative and educational employment center.

The Promenade on Forest

A temporary street closure made permanent. A $7.2 million project creating a landscaped pedestrian gathering, dining and shopping destination Downtown.

Pacific Edge Hotel

A comprehensive redevelopment of an aging 11-building oceanfront hotel complex in the Village: 136 rooms and 220 parking spaces, and a major reinvestment in Laguna’s visitor economy.

340 St. Ann’s workforce housing

Twenty-eight affordable apartments plus a manager’s unit, with 41 parking spaces and a preference for people who work in Laguna Beach.

Providence Mission Hospital

Laguna’s only emergency room. Providence has said it plans to close the hospital by early 2030 rather than complete roughly $350 million in state-required seismic upgrades, and has suggested converting the site to outpatient use. Because California doesn’t currently allow stand-alone emergency rooms, closing the hospital would mean losing the ER. The city formed a hospital task force in March 2026 and in October approved $500,000 to explore ways to keep emergency care in town, including legislation that would allow a stand-alone ER. Updated November 2026.

The takeaway

Together, these projects will reshape Laguna’s arts and education, visitor economy, public spaces, workforce housing and access to emergency care.