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Another Beach Boulevard motel torn down

Anaheim has demolished its fourth motel since 2021 as part of an ongoing remaking of Beach Boulevard called Rebuild Beach. 

The former 42-room motel opened in 1984 and sits on 29,000 square feet of land, or about 0.7 acre, at 831 S. Beach Blvd., near Ball Road.

We bought the Rainbow Inn for $6.9 million in September. 

Upon buying the Rainbow Inn, the Anaheim Housing Authority closed down motel operations and began work to relocate about 10 longer-term tenants.

The Rainbow Inn was torn down to combine the site with two neighboring city-acquired parcels to create a 2.7-acre redevelopment site.

In 2022, Anaheim acquired the Covered Wagon Motel, on the north side of the Rainbow Inn, and the Anaheim Lodge, on the south side.

The Covered Wagon, a former 70-room motel, was demolished by the city in 2023 followed by the 45-room Anaheim Lodge in 2024.

The combined site is set to see up to 120 apartments at affordable rents based on income and about 15 townhomes for sale at market prices with some available to first-time buyers.

Plans are still in development with the start of construction possible in 2026.

The Rainbow Inn is Anaheim’s fourth Beach Boulevard motel demolition since 2021, along with the Covered Wagon, Anaheim Lodge and the former Americana Motel, a 44-room motel bought by the city in 2019 and torn down in 2021.

The number of motels along Anaheim’s 1.5-mile stretch of Beach is now 13, down from 18 in 2017.

Once a thriving route to the coast with motels and other businesses, Beach in Anaheim today has seen most lodging outlive its usefulness.

Without traveler demand, many motels end up harboring prostitution and human trafficking, drug sales and use, theft rings and other problems.

Anaheim’s multiyear work to rebuild Beach includes bringing new homes and businesses, working to improve existing businesses, undergrounding utility lines and upgrading streetlights, taking over management of the roadway from Caltrans, daily homeless outreach and strict police enforcement of prostitution, drugs and other crimes.

See all we’re doing at Anaheim.net/RebuildBeach.

Join us for your district meeting

District Community Meetings bring neighborhoods together to hear about what's going on in our city and to share concerns.

Our next community meetings take place across the city in June.

District Community Meetings are a great way to connect with neighbors and know what's happening in and around your community.

All meetings start at 7 p.m.

Districts 1 & 2

Thursday, June 5

Brookhurst Community Center, 2271 Crescent Ave.

District 3

Wednesday, June 11

Downtown Anaheim Community Center, 250 E. Center St.

District 4

Thursday, June 12

Ross Elementary School, 535 S. Walnut St.

District 5

Wednesday, June 18

Sycamore Junior High School, 1801 E. Sycamore St.

District 6

Thursday, June 19

East Anaheim Community Center, 8201 E. Santa Ana Canyon Road

Learn more at Anaheim.net/neighborhoods.

See you there!

There’s a new California law to know about — one that changes how close you can park near crosswalks here in Anaheim and across the state.

It’s called daylighting.

The idea is to clear space near crosswalks so drivers, people walking and cyclists can see each other better.

Better visibility means safer streets for everyone.

The law took effect in January and now precludes parking:

• within 20 feet of a crosswalk
• within 15 feet if there’s a curb extension (that’s when the sidewalk sticks out into the street)

These same rules also apply near fire stations and intersections.

We know parking is already a challenge in many Anaheim neighborhoods where every bit of curb space matters.

That’s why Anaheim is starting with an educational approach.

For now, we’re focused on sharing information about the new law, issuing warnings as people adjust and prioritizing safety concerns.

But safety always comes first. Vehicles parked in crosswalks, blocking visibility or creating unsafe conditions can still be cited under this law or existing city municipal codes.

If you spot a car blocking a crosswalk, wrapped around a corner or causing a visibility hazard, report it through Anaheim Anytime or call Anaheim Police at (714) 765-1900.

Anaheim Anytime is a simple reporting tool for parking issues, graffiti and other neighborhood concerns.

Every report is tracked, assigned, and addressed — many within two to three days, if not sooner.

You can submit a report at Anaheim.net/anytime.

For the curious, daylighting is now part of the California Vehicle Code, section 22500(n). You can read the official text here.

In the meantime, remember clearing space at crosswalks helps keep our streets safer for kids, families, neighbors — and you.

Join us for the 30th annual Flag Day celebration on Sunday, June 8, at Pearson Park.

The event kick offs at 11:15 a.m. with a concert by the Marine Corps 1st Marine Division Band from Camp Pendleton.

This celebration is brought to us by community volunteers.

The parades starts at 11:30 a.m. with a decorated vehicle procession and then a walking parade around Pearson Park.

Stage performances start at 1 p.m. with a tribute to "Old Glory."

Walk through an avenue of flags with food to buy and free cake and ice cream after the show!

For more, check out Anaheim Flag Day on Facebook and Instagram or email flagdayanaheim@gmail.com.

Juneteenth at Central Library

Join us on Thursday, June 19, from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Central Library for a Juneteenth celebration honoring freedom, culture and community.

There are dance performances by Dat Krew Academy, heartfelt poetry readings by talented local poets and Anaheim’s own Poet Laureate Camille Hernandez.

Dance to live music and enjoy a delicious taste of soul food from Georgia’s (while supplies last).

Come celebrate the history and spirit of Juneteenth!

Anaheim's budget touches every part of life in our city, and we're readying our budget for the coming 12 months.

You can be part of the process by joining an upcoming workshop or community presentation.

We're holding City Council workshops on the budget on June 10 and 17.

Both workshops start at 3 p.m. and take place in Council chambers at City Hall.

The June 17 meeting is also expected to see consideration and adoption of the budget, which covers the 12 months from July to June 2026.

We'll also be at our District Community Meetings sharing a budget overview (see dates and times above).

For districts 5 and 6, which fall after potential budget adoption, we're holding a presentation on Tuesday, June 3, at Sunkist Elementary School at 7 p.m.

You're also welcome to join our budget presentation before the city's Budget, Investment & Technology Commission meeting, which is Wednesday, June 4, at City Hall.

Anaheim's yearly budget is more than $2 billion with a general fund for police, fire, community services and other spending at about $600 million.

Our city budget includes our police and fire departments, 67 parks, 11 community centers, seven libraries, Anaheim Public Utilities, improvement projects and much more for our community.

Like cities and others everywhere, we're facing higher costs and some other budget challenges, including potential deficits in the years before the 1990s bonds to expand The Anaheim Resort are paid off in the next few years.

This year's proposed budget seeks to uphold services to our community while managing costs.

You can learn more about our proposed budget at Anaheim.net/mycitybudget or join us for an upcoming workshop or community meeting.

We enjoy reliable and cost-effective electricity for our daily lives in Anaheim.

But, while rare, outages do happen.

A common culprit? Mylar balloons.

Balloons are a frequent cause of outages in our neighborhoods. And we all know how frustrating that can be.

Keeping balloons out of power lines takes all of us.

Mylar balloons, like those for graduation, father's day or birthdays, are metallic.

When they get caught in electrical lines, they short circuit the flow of power, causing an outage.

When outages happen, you can report and look up updates online at Anaheim.net/outages.

We'll always work to restore service as soon as possible. But prevention is the best when it comes to balloons.

• Keep metallic balloons indoors where possible.
• If outdoors, make sure balloons are securely tied or anchored.
• Firmly hold balloons when moving them.
• Before disposing, deflate balloons while tethered and weighted.

And there's another reason to keep balloons grounded.

Runaway balloons are bad for our environment, including for land and sea animals that may encounter them.

Thanks for doing your part!