Exclusive tour of OCVIBE's construction site in Anaheim

ANAHEIM, Calif. (KABC) -- Phase one of what's been touted as the new downtown of Orange County is one year from opening its doors to the public.

OCVIBE is a multi-billion-dollar landmark development surrounding the Honda Center in Anaheim, and it will feature a live entertainment venue, a two-story market hall, parks and open space.

It's expected to reshape the landscape of Orange County. Eyewitness News got an exclusive hard-hat tour of the construction site to get an update on phase one of the project and what visitors can expect.

"We're trying to capture all the wonderful things about living in Anaheim and Orange County. The climate, community, cuisine, camaraderie," said Scott Frick, OCVIBE's senior vice president of real estate and district operations.

Construction began in 2023 on what used to be a road that has since closed. New roads had to be built around the Honda Center before work could begin.

At the center of phase one is the Urban Park and five new restaurants. It's flanked by Katella Commons and a brand new concert hall.

"I think what's most unique is all of these wonderful things coming together in one vibrant campus," Frick said.

Katella Commons is a 50,000 square foot two-story market hall at the bottom of The Weave office building featuring 21 different kitchens.

"It's been fun because we have been talking with 21 different types of chefs with different cuisine types from different cultures and different backgrounds," said Nick Pacific, OCVIBE's vice president and general manager of Katella Commons. "Some of them are fusion, some are going to be more straightforward with pizza, but each chef is bringing their own little twist to what they're building."

The market hall will also include six different bars.

"They're all designed by different designers and we have different menus and different kind of looks and feels for each one. We have a wine bar and we're calling it our tasting bar. We have a beer garden that has about 35 beers on draft, so that'll be exciting with some of the local breweries, and we'll curate that," Pacific said.

Pacific said his team has taken an unconventional approach when working with culinary partners. Rather than a typical landlord-tenant relationship, he said they've provided a construction and development team, kitchen designers and interior designers.

"When they sit down with us, we go through their design and essentially we're going to build the space out for them and provide the capital that comes up front to do so. And in doing that, we've been able to really kind of reach some chefs that maybe have really creative ideas, but haven't had the ability to actually find the location for them to actually build that idea out," Pacific explained.

Across the Urban Park from Katella Commons is a 5,000-person concert hall.

"This venue is built for fans by fans," said Tina Suca, OCVIBE's senior vice president of venue operations.

The stage is already built inside the venue. So are its three tiers.

"Down on the floor is really versatile because we can have it GA standing, we can set it up with theater-style chairs," Suca explained. "I know it's going to be a place of connection. We have something to offer 365 days a year. Even when you're coming to the concert hall, that's like your pre-show. Then there's also a place to go after. So we're really hoping that it's a place that community can gather."

The music venue will also include a large outdoor patio on its top tier, overlooking the campus and Honda Center.

Developers have been working around a busy hockey season to keep construction moving, envisioning the ability for large-scale watch parties and celebrations this time next year.

"We're obviously going to have a lot of events and we have the Ducks that play here, but this is really meant for the community. With all of our parks and plazas, we really want this to be a part of people's daily routine. So when they think of where do I want to go today and what do I want to see, we want them to come here," Pacific said.

Phase two of OCVIBE will be the South Plaza on the south side of the Honda Center, which will include more open space, a hotel, additional restaurants and a large park on the south side of Katella. An elevated pedestrian bridge will connect south of Katella to north.

In 2028, there will be a three-mile pedestrian loop called the Art Loop connecting the campus.

Additional phases to the north will include 2,500 residential units, which are also expected to open in 2028.

Opening in 2029 will be Meadow Park, a large open space park that can host outdoor concerts, picnics and more.