Platinum Triangle, Anaheim, California

The Platinum Triangle is a district of Anaheim, California surrounding the city's two major sports venues, Honda Center and Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

Geography

The district's boundaries are roughly defined by Interstate 5 to the west, the Santa Ana River to the east, and Cerritos Avenue to the north. A small section to the south is part of the city of Orange, and thus is not considered part of the platinum triangle.

The district is located east of the Anaheim Resort, a major tourist destination encompassing the Disneyland Resort, the Anaheim Convention Center, and several dozen hotels. It is also just north of The Block at Orange, a large outdoor shopping center, and UCI Medical Center.

Zoning Plans

When redevelopment is completed, the district is expected to offer urban living with easy access to dining, shopping, and entertainment within walking distance to living spaces. It is envisioned as a downtown district for Orange County along with the South Coast Metro / Irvine business district area. The current tenants of the area, mainly industrial buildings or other low-density commercial buildings, would be relocated to make way for mid-rise apartments, retail space, and high-rise buildings.

The Triangle also contains The Grove of Anaheim, a popular entertainment venue adjacent to Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

Recently, Anaheim city planers announced an expansion of the initial Platinum Triangle proposal, doubling the amount of housing units and commercial office space from the original plans. Currently, 16 projects are either planned or currently under construction for a total of 18,363 homes, convert|5700000|sqft|m2 of commercial space and convert|16800000|sqft|m2 of office space. [http://www.ocregister.com/news/housing-triangle-space-1939271-city-traffic Plan for Anaheim's Platinum Triangle, Orange County Register] ]

As of December 2007, only one project, the Stadium Lofts, has been completed.

Transportation

City planners envision the triangle as a transit-oriented environment, encompassing the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodel Center, or ARTIC, which is planned to replace the current Anaheim Amtrak Station located between Angel Stadium and the Honda Center. ARTIC will continue to serve Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink trains, and will also be a central hub for proposed high-speed trains such as the California High-Speed Rail and a high-speed rail connection to LA/Ontario International Airport.

Additionally, ARTIC would be a transfer point to a planned streetcar line which would run from ARTIC along a redeveloped Gene Autry Way, terminating at the Disneyland Resort. ARTIC would also be a main transfer point to current Orange County Transportation Authority bus routes, as well as a planned Bus Rapid Transit line along Katella avenue. [http://www.octa.net/artic.aspx ARTIC, Orange County Transportation Authority] ] Planners hope that the robust transportation infrastructure will prevent a severe increase in congestion from the large number of new commuters to the area.

References

External links

* [http://www.anaheim.net/article.asp?id=1161 City of Anaheim - The Platinum Triangle]
* [http://www.octa.net/artic.aspx Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC)]
* [http://www.octa.net/articvideos/intro2m.html ARTIC Promotional Video]