On the Nov. 3 ballot | North Redondo
Measure ART Redondo Beach: What It Means for Apartment Owners
On November 3, 2026, Redondo Beach voters decide Measure ART, which would raise the allowed floor area on North Redondo’s Artesia and Aviation Boulevards from 0.6 to 1.5 FAR and building height from two to three stories. It adds no housing requirements and doesn’t change rent rules. For real estate owners, it could bring more nearby shops and restaurants over time, but some properties could lose residential density.
Measure ART is a zoning update for the Artesia and Aviation Boulevard corridors in North Redondo that also reaches other parts of the Redondo Beach real estate market. It would let commercial buildings along those streets grow bigger and taller, and it would make room for rooftop dining.
If you own apartment buildings in North Redondo, the measure won’t change your rent rules. It could change what gets built down the street from your tenants, and a handful of properties could see their residential options shift. Here is what Measure ART does, what each side says, and what to check before and after the vote.
What Measure ART Would Change for Redondo Beach Real Estate
The city describes the Artesia and Aviation corridor as North Redondo’s main neighborhood and commuter retail strip, and says it has seen little business investment or turnover in recent decades. Measure ART puts the city’s corridor plan into the zoning code. That plan covers about 82 acres and was first adopted by the City Council in 2020.
Rule on Artesia and Aviation | Today | Under Measure ART |
|---|---|---|
Maximum floor area ratio (FAR) | 0.6 | 1.5 |
Maximum height | 2 stories (30 feet) | 3 stories (45 feet), with upper floors stepped back from neighboring homes |
FAR is a building’s total floor space divided by its lot size. On a 10,000-square-foot lot, a 0.6 FAR allows 6,000 square feet of building. A 1.5 FAR allows 15,000 square feet, two and a half times as much.
The measure also adds support for rooftop dining. A rooftop dining area would need an Administrative Use Permit and would count toward the building’s floor area.
It reaches beyond the two boulevards, too. According to the city, it also updates the industrial district north of Manhattan Beach Boulevard, plus a limited number of properties along Pacific Coast Highway and south of the South Bay Galleria. The full measure text runs 53 pages.
Why Redondo Beach Voters Decide Zoning
Redondo Beach’s charter (Article XXVII, often called Measure DD) sends major land use changes to voters. That is why a zoning update the City Council approved unanimously still needs a public vote.
The city has published a fact sheet on Measure ART and says it takes no position on how residents should vote. The arguments printed in the voter guide come from the two sides below.
What Supporters and Opponents Say
The case for
Modernize the corridor
The mayor and City Council members who signed the argument in favor say the measure modernizes outdated zoning so new restaurants, shops, and jobs can come to North Redondo, while design rules protect nearby neighborhoods. They point to the three-story cap, required upper-floor setbacks, transparent storefronts, and noise limits on rooftop dining. They also argue that new commercial activity could add to the city’s General Fund without new taxes on residents, and that the industrial changes help aerospace employers stay and grow.
The case against
Too much in one vote
The opponent’s argument says more zoning capacity does not guarantee that any project gets financed or built. It objects to a roughly $250,000 special election held four months before the city’s regular March 2027 election. It also says the measure bundles separate commercial, residential, inland, and coastal changes into a single yes-or-no vote, including changes that reduce housing density or remove residential uses on certain properties.
Where both sides agree
Measure ART approves zoning rules, not a specific development project. Any future building would still go through the city’s normal review.
What Does Measure ART Mean for Redondo Beach Real Estate Owners, Buyers and Developers?
Your rent rules and competition don’t change
Measure ART is a land use measure. It doesn’t touch rent caps, just-cause rules, or tenant protections, and the city says it doesn’t require any added housing units, so it won’t bring new apartment competition to the corridor.
Neighborhood amenities could improve, slowly
Renters pay for walkability. New restaurants and shops within a few blocks can help with leasing and renewals, but zoning changes take years to show up as finished buildings. Don’t underwrite a rent bump on it. Our free McCann Multifamily Stress Test shows what your building is worth on today’s rents.
Check the parcel’s zoning before you buy
Opponents note that some properties would lose residential density or residential uses. If a building sits on or near Artesia, Aviation, PCH, or the industrial area north of Manhattan Beach Boulevard, confirm its current and proposed zoning with the Redondo Beach Community Development Department.
Price on today’s rents, not tomorrow’s retail
Larger commercial projects can bring construction noise, parking pressure, and lane closures before they bring new amenities. Plan for that in your underwriting and tenant communication.
More buildable area, with design limits
If the measure passes, corridor lots could go from 0.6 to 1.5 FAR and from two to three stories, with upper floors stepped back from neighboring homes and rooftop dining allowed with a permit.
Every project still needs approval
The measure changes what is allowed, not what is approved. Each project would still need city review, financing, and permits.
Redondo Beach Real Estate FAQ: Measure ART
Will Measure ART raise the value of my Redondo Beach investment property?
Not directly, unless your parcel’s zoning changes. The city says most residential properties outside the corridors are unaffected. Any value effect on nearby apartment buildings would come over time, through neighborhood appeal, not from the vote itself.
Does Measure ART add housing or apartment supply in Redondo Beach?
No. The city says Measure ART doesn’t require any additional housing units, and housing sites are handled separately in the city’s Housing Element. Opponents point out that it reduces housing density or removes residential uses on some properties.
What should buyers of Redondo Beach apartment buildings check before buying near Artesia or Aviation?
Confirm the parcel’s current and proposed zoning with the Redondo Beach Community Development Department, since some properties could lose residential density or uses under Measure ART. Price the building on today’s rents, because new corridor retail may take years to arrive.
What would Measure ART let commercial owners build on Artesia and Aviation?
Measure ART would raise the maximum floor area ratio from 0.6 to 1.5 and the height limit from two stories to three, about 30 to 45 feet, with upper floors stepped back from neighboring homes. Rooftop dining would be allowed with an Administrative Use Permit and would count toward floor area.
If Measure ART passes, when would anything get built?
There is no set timeline. Measure ART changes what is allowed, not what is approved, so each project would still need city review, financing, and permits. Changes on the street are likely years away.
For more South Bay apartment market coverage, read our latest market updates.
McCann Multifamily Stress Test
See how your North Redondo building holds up, whatever the vote
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At Jack McCann Multifamily Advisors, we advise owners of apartment buildings and multifamily investment property across the South Bay real estate market. We will check whether your parcel falls in a Measure ART zone, then run your rent roll, expenses, and loan terms against today’s South Bay rents, cap rates, and interest rates, so you know what your building is worth now and how a changing corridor could affect your hold, refinance, or sale plans.
Sources: City of Redondo Beach, Measure ART FAQ (Oct. 13, 2026); City of Redondo Beach City Clerk, Measure ART Argument in Favor and Argument Against (Nov. 3, 2026 election).
