Orange County Register

New restaurants, a pharmacy and renovated RV park are planned for a Disney-area site once entangled in a debate about whether housing should go near theme parks.

A new owner recently paid $10 million for the 11-acre site at Harbor Boulevard and Ball Road where Anaheim RV Village now sits.

The owner, Mother Colony Group, plans to spruce up the RV park, said Dudley Frank, the managing partner. Walgreens has expressed interest in the corner site and Frank hopes to lure one or two restaurants, like Applebee’s and Chili’s Grill and Bar.

In early 2008, plans to build condominiums on the site fell apart after a Disney-led group protested against any new homes in the area, saying the zone should be reserved for tourism purposes. The protest was instigated by SunCal’s proposal to build homes, including affordable units, where two nearby mobile home parks sit, but all similar proposals were also shot down.

Frank also owns the two mobile home parks that SunCal intended to develop.

“He thought it was an excellent opportunity for the future,” Don Nourse, of CB Richard Ellis and who represented Frank, said of the RV park. “He believes in Anaheim. That was the right price at the right time.”

Former Parc Anaheim plan

About three years ago, Urban West released plans to build up to 449 homes, including high rises and lofts, along with retail outlets, at what was then called Travelers World RV Park; that is the property now owned by Mother Colony Group. City officials seemed poised to support the plan. The company moved out the tenants by January 2007.

Around that time, some Anaheim City Council members were starting to turn against any housing proposals near Disneyland because of the immense protest that was building against the other site. So, four months later, Urban West renovated and re-opened the RV park for tourists to make money while waiting out the fight.

After the city required voter-approval for housing projects in the area, Urban West pulled out of the condo project and lost money in the economic downturn. Urban West and its partners had bought the site for about $18.7 million and ended up spending close to $28 million total before selling for $10 million to Mother Colony Group, said Douglas Danny, a commercial real estate broker with Marcus and Millichap who represented the seller.

“We sold it and have moved on,” said David DiRienzo of Urban West.

The park has about 25 percent occupancy. But Danny said he projects that Frank will be able to turn around the property and net about $1.5 million a year.

“He got a fabulous deal on it,” Danny said.

Frank, who grew up in Anaheim, said he wants to develop between 3 and 5 acres with new businesses, replacing an auto-repair shop and another shop and cutting into the 293-space park.

The city has yet to receive a proposal.

“It’s gorgeous property,” Frank said. “It’s neat and clean as a pin.”

Other stories about the RV park:

• Resort housing plan withdrawn
• Anaheim RV park owner hedges bets
• Disney-area housing plan delayed
• Project to convert RV park

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