An office tower along Pacific Coast Highway is set to shift from commercial use to new residential housing, marking one of the largest adaptive reuse efforts currently planned in Long Beach. Fountain Residential Partners has outlined a conversion of the 1980s Park Tower building at 5150 Pacific Coast Highway, introducing student-oriented housing within an area where dorm availability has long trailed demand.
The seven-story structure will be reconfigured into 149 residential suites that together could accommodate up to 593 residents. Existing site infrastructure remains part of the plan, including 364 parking spaces, while the surrounding lot will be reorganized to support outdoor gathering areas and new shared amenities. City filings describe the project as a reuse rather than a full redevelopment, maintaining the original building frame while shifting its internal layout toward a residential format.
5150 Pacific Coast Highway via Studio One Eleven
Studio One Eleven is leading the redesign. While the tower’s glass exterior is expected to stay largely intact, new terraces, carved-out lounges, and at-grade openings will reshape how the building meets the street. Plans depict the addition of a small pavilion structure and a splash pool set within a reconfigured plaza that replaces former surface parking. Landscape elements and pedestrian paths are arranged to make the site more accessible from Pacific Coast Highway, breaking up the expanse that once served solely as vehicle circulation.
The project arrives at a moment when student housing pressures near Cal State Long Beach remain acute. On-campus beds are limited, and nearby Long Beach City College faces similar constraints. Recent state-funded construction is increasing university housing, but private adaptive reuse projects along key corridors are emerging as complementary solutions that add capacity without requiring large new footprints.
5150 Pacific Coast Highway View via Studio One Eleven
Construction on the Park Tower conversion is expected to span roughly fifteen months once started. The project adds to a growing list of office-to-residential transformations across Southern California, reflecting an ongoing shift in how older commercial buildings are repurposed to meet current housing needs.
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Landscape elements and pedestrian paths are arranged to make the site more accessible from Pacific Coast Highway, breaking up the expanse that once served solely as vehicle circulation.
Sounds like a win win