Overview
About South Brea Lofts
South Brea Lofts is 2.8 acres on South Brea Boulevard carrying 52 addresses, all on that one street and 51 of them holding a unit designator. The parcel record describes them as condominiums and dates every one to 2007. The general plan carries all 2.8 acres as Mixed Use III, the only block of that designation among the 43 communities the City of Brea maps.
Two works by Archie Held stand here, Twist I and Twist II, both installed in 2007 alongside the building. On 2.8 acres that is the densest concentration of public art in the city. None of the boundary falls in an elevated fire class. South Brea Lofts is in Brea Olinda Unified, with Laurel Elementary 0.39 miles away holding 434 students, Arovista Elementary 0.5 miles with 460, and Brea Junior High 1.03 miles with 921.
View available homes in South Brea LoftsHistory
How South Brea Lofts was built
The Brea Mall and the Orange Freeway pulled trade a mile east in the 1970s and left the old street struggling; in the 1990s the city relocated a few historic homes, cleared blocks north of the Imperial and Brea Boulevard crossing and rebuilt the downtown, which opened in 2000. Loft housing over ground-floor commercial space was part of extending that idea south, and South Brea Lofts is fifty-two homes on under three acres.
Two sculptures stand inside those three acres, among them Twist II by Archie Held. Since 1975 Brea has required the developer of a project, rather than the taxpayer, to commission permanent outdoor artwork reviewed before it is placed, which is why a small mixed-use block in this city carries more public art than a whole district elsewhere. The collection now runs past 140 pieces.
By the Numbers
South Brea Lofts by the numbers
Lifestyle
The South Brea Lofts lifestyle
Schools
Schools serving South Brea Lofts
South Brea Lofts sits inside Brea Olinda Unified. Laurel Elementary is 0.39 miles away, Arovista Elementary 0.5 miles and Brea Junior High 1.03 miles, with Brea Olinda High at 2.03 miles. Enrollment below is the 2024-25 federal count. Attendance boundaries set the assignment, so confirm a specific address with the district.
9-12 · 1,676 students
9-12 · 41 students
7-8 · 921 students
K-6 · 649 students
K-6 · 544 students
K-6 · 504 students
K-6 · 498 students
K-6 · 460 students
K-6 · 434 students
K-6 · 13 students
FAQs
Common questions about South Brea Lofts
What are South Brea Lofts?
A live-work development on 2.8 acres of South Brea Boulevard. The Brea Redevelopment Agency's 2005 agreement with CWI Development covered 47 units, thirty-seven live-work and ten affordable live-only, plus three commercial spaces. The city's address layer now records 52 addresses, 51 of them carrying a unit designator.
What was on the site before?
In the redevelopment agency's own description, two old metal gas station buildings, two auto repair facilities and several dilapidated retail buildings, most of them built in the 1950s and 1960s. The city had been assembling the block since 2001.
When was it built?
Tract 16950 was recorded with the County of Orange in 2006 by Hall and Foreman, and the parcel record dates every unit to 2007.
Is there public art at South Brea Lofts?
Yes. Archie Held's Twist I and Twist II were both installed in 2007. On 2.8 acres that is the densest concentration of public art among Brea's 43 mapped communities.
How is South Brea Lofts zoned?
MU-III, with the general plan carrying all 2.8 acres as Mixed Use III. It is the only block of that designation among the city's 43 mapped communities.