{"id":22933,"date":"2025-10-25T12:19:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-25T12:19:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/22933\/"},"modified":"2025-10-25T12:19:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-25T12:19:08","slug":"massive-development-five-points-union-may-take-place-of-closing-phillips-66-site-in-wilmington-orange-county-register","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/22933\/","title":{"rendered":"Massive development, Five Points Union, may take place of closing Phillips 66 site in Wilmington \u2013 Orange County Register"},"content":{"rendered":"

By the end of 2025, a key part of the South Bay\u2019s legacy and historic relationship with the oil industry will shutter.<\/p>\n

The Phillips 66 refinery, a massive complex with two sites in Carson and Wilmington, announced its closure earlier this year.<\/p>\n

And the news that Phillips 66 would cease operations at its Los Angeles County refinery complex drew mixed reactions, primarily concerns about the closure\u2019s impact on the local and national economy, as the refinery is among the largest fuel providers and in the nation and employees hundreds of local workers; and what would happen to the land<\/a> once the refinery is officially shut down.<\/p>\n

But now, a pair of companies hired by Phillips 66 have introduced a potential vision for the future of the Wilmington portion of the company\u2019s refinery \u2014 a massive mixed-use project, featuring retail, outdoor space, indoor sports complexes, and much more, dubbed Five Points Union.<\/p>\n

Plans for the project \u2014 which is still in the very early stages of development and is years away from completion, should all go according to plan \u2014 were submitted to the city of Los Angeles for approval in July, according to Heather Crossner, Cattellus-Deca\u2019s senior vice president. Catellus-Deca, LLC, is a joint venture between Emeryville-based Catellus and San Francisco-based Deca, two leading real estate development firms hired by Phillips 66 to lead the project.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The existing Phillips 66 refinery and Rancho LPG sites in Wilmington, the subject of the Five Points Union redevelopment project proposal. (Photo courtesy Catellus-Deca).\n<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The proposed plans for the Five Points Union redevelopment plan, which would transform the Phillips 66 refinery in Wilmington. (Courtesy of Catellus-Deca)\n<\/p>\n

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The existing Phillips 66 refinery and Rancho LPG sites in Wilmington, the subject of the Five Points Union redevelopment project proposal. (Photo courtesy Catellus-Deca).\n<\/p>\n

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That initial application, Crossner said in a Friday, Oct. 24 statement, is currently available for public review and comment. Two public meetings to solicit public feedback were already held in August of 2025.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis process, which initiates the city\u2019s environmental review, will take several more years to complete and include many additional opportunities for public input,\u201d Crossner said.<\/p>\n

Five Points Union, meanwhile, would span a whopping 440 acres of land in Wilmington that is now currently occupied by Phillips 66\u2019s refinery in Wilmington, and the adjacent Rancho LPG property that\u2019s been a public safety concern in the community for decades because it houses liquid butane tanks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile Phillips 66 does not own the (Rancho LPG) property, in direct response to community requests, Phillips 66 worked with the Rancho LPG owners to incorporate the property into the project\u2019s redevelopment plans,\u201d a company press release from Monday, Oct. 6 said. \u201cUpon approval of the Five Points Union project, the Rancho LPG site will be redeveloped along with the rest of the project.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the Carson portion of Phillips 66\u2019s refinery, about five miles away from the Wilmington site, will also shutter and be redeveloped in the future; that property isn\u2019t part of the larger Five Points Union proposal.<\/p>\n

The Five Points Union project, officials said, was developed with plenty of community engagement and feedback. Catellus-Deca had hundreds of conversations with community groups, neighborhood councils, nonprofits, schools, parents, students, and residents in Wilmington that would be impacted by the project, Crossner said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe project stands out not just for its scale, but for how deeply community voices have shaped its identity,\u201d said Crossner in the company news release. \u201cFrom the outset, the Five Points Union team asked local residents, stakeholders, and organizations for their wish-list of uses for the properties. Hundreds of these conversations informed the Five Points Union Project now being proposed.\u201d<\/p>\n

And with that feedback in mind, the plans for Five Points Union are indeed grand \u2014 and focused on providing Wilmington with essential economic, community, cultural, and outdoor space the neighborhood has historically lacked.<\/p>\n

The development, as proposed, would feature a 400,000-square-foot Town Center for shops, restaurants, and cafes, adorned with outdoor spaces like playground and walking paths, the company said. One of the playgrounds, according to a community presentation, would also include an homage to Smiling Jack \u2014 the iconic jack-o-lantern painted on to a Phillips 66 storage tank to celebrate Halloween each year since the 1950s<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Town Center would also feature \u201cflex space\u201d to accommodate pop-up events and farmers\u2019 markets, alongside community meeting and work space, a local artist showcase, a grocery store, and more.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A rendering of one of the playgrounds proposed as part of the Five Points Union redevelopment project, which would transform the existing Phillips 66 refinery site in Wilmington. This park would pay homage to the refinery\u2019s long-standing Halloween tradition, dubbed Smilin\u2019 Jack. (Courtesy of Catellus-Deca).\n<\/p>\n

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This rendering shows plans for a large new indoor sports facility including in the Five Points Union redevelopment project, which would transform the existing Phillips 66 refinery site in Wilmington. (Courtesy of Catellus-Deca).\n<\/p>\n

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A rendering shows community space and event lawn proposed as part of the Five Points Union redevelopment project, which would transform the existing Phillips 66 refinery site in Wilmington. (Courtesy of Catellus-Deca).\n<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A rendering showing farmers\u2019 market and pop-up space as part of the Five Points Union redevelopment project, which would transform the existing Phillips 66 refinery site in Wilmington. (Courtesy of Catellus-Deca)\n<\/p>\n

\"This<\/p>\n

This rendering shows plans for new soccer fields as part of the Five Points Union redevelopment project, which would transform the existing Phillips 66 refinery site in Wilmington. (Courtesy of Catellus-Deca).\n<\/p>\n

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This rendering shows the proposed Five Points Union Town Center looking west on Anaheim Street. (Courtesy of Catellus-Deca)\n<\/p>\n

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A rendering of one of the playgrounds proposed as part of the Five Points Union redevelopment project, which would transform the existing Phillips 66 refinery site in Wilmington. This park would pay homage to the refinery\u2019s long-standing Halloween tradition, dubbed Smilin\u2019 Jack. (Courtesy of Catellus-Deca).\n<\/p>\n

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Five Points Union would also create new places for sports, including two soccer fields and a 60,000-square-foot indoor sports complex on a plot of land adjacent to Ken Malloy Park.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve witnessed firsthand how deeply our community has needed safe, accessible spaces where youth and families can gather, grow, and thrive,\u201d said Toberman Neighborhood Center CEO Lupe Rivera in the release. \u201cUnion Project represents a transformative opportunity to fill long-standing gaps in recreational and social resources, while creating an environment that inspires hope, connection, and possibility.\u201d<\/p>\n

Five Points Union would also make some changes to how pedestrians experience two major corridors: Anaheim and Gaffey Streets. Anaheim Street, the company said, would be reconstructed and set back from the street and get new trees for shade; while Gaffey Street would get a new sidewalk to make it easier for pedestrians to access Ken Malloy Park and surrounding areas.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth corridors will be improved into walkable, welcoming, and pedestrian-friendly streetscapes along the project\u2019s frontages,\u201d the company said.<\/p>\n

Five Points Union would also see the construction of a Commerce Center directly behind the proposed Town Center and connected to the Port of Los Angeles. The Commerce Center, the company said, would feature eight large industrial buildings \u2014 ranging from around 230,000 square-feet and around 1.5 million square-feet in size \u2014 to support goods movement in and out of the port.<\/p>\n

The Commerce Center, the company said, would be set back from Anaheim and Gaffey streets, and truck traffic into it would be limited to a single entry point \u2014 which would be accessible via new underpass beneath the 110 Freeway which is also a part of the development. That new underpass, which would provide trucks access to John S. Gibson Boulevard and the 110, would prevent trucks from entering residential streets and neighborhoods.<\/p>\n

\"This<\/p>\n

This rendering shows the proposed Commerce Center and community spaces as part of the Five Points Union Development, which would transform the Phillips 66 refinery site in Wilmington. (Courtesy Catellus-Deca).\n<\/p>\n

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This rendering shows the proposed Commerce Center and community spaces as part of the Five Points Union Development, which would transform the Phillips 66 refinery site in Wilmington. (Courtesy Catellus-Deca).\n<\/p>\n

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This center, the company said, would be a major driver for the local economy and could create thousands of jobs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Five Points Union Project can serve as a major catalyst for local economic empowerment and job creation for our residents,\u201d Wilmington Chamber of Commerce CEO Monica Garcia said in the news release. \u201cThis redevelopment is a chance to redefine Wilmington\u2019s profile and make it a destination for visitors and businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n

But it\u2019ll be years before this project comes to fruition, with much work to be done before construction could even start on the refinery\u2019s old resting place.<\/p>\n

Catellus-Deca\u2019s submission of the project proposal to the city of L.A. is just the start \u2014 and will trigger an environmental review process, Crossner said, which will take several years to complete.<\/p>\n

And once the environmental review is complete, there\u2019s still the matter of demolishing the existing refinery structures, remediating the land it sat on for more than a century, and constructing the massive facility from nothing.<\/p>\n

\u201cFollowing comprehensive environmental review, community input and approvals from the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, removal of the refinery, cleanup and redevelopment would begin and take several years to complete,\u201d the company said.<\/p>\n

Remediation of the land, it seems, will be the biggest challenge for any redevelopment project. Refinery pollution and land contamination has long been a concern for people living in refinery-adjacent communities like Carson and Wilmington \u2014 which are some of the most environmentally-burdened communities in the country, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District.<\/p>\n

And though Phillips 66 does have mechanisms in place aimed at protecting residents\u2019 health and safety, the issue is still significant.<\/p>\n

Last year, for example, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Phillips 66 for illegally dumping close to 800,000 gallons of toxic wastewater from the Carson facility into the Los Angeles County sewer system.<\/p>\n

The L.A. Water Board, meanwhile, has had its eye on the Carson refinery since 1994, when a troubling discovery was made beneath the facility \u2013 a 13-foot deep \u201clake of oil.\u201d Since then, Phillips 66 has been ordered to continue remediation efforts by pumping out the toxic waste and treating contaminated water.<\/p>\n

Toxic levels of dangerous chemicals have also been found in both the groundwater and soil, creating a large plume spanning the majority of the property and producing benzene, a known carcinogen, in addition to gasoline chemicals.<\/p>\n

And, in 2021, the L.A.\u00a0 Water Board required the reporting of PFAS, also known as forever chemicals because it\u2019s impossible to remove them from the environment. Phillips 66 reported PFAS well above the EPA\u2019s maximum levels, according to data compiled by the California State Water Resources Control Board \u2014 likely from foams used to fight fires at the refinery.<\/p>\n

Phillips 66 has since switched to non-PFAS firefighting foams \u2014 though it\u2019s a bit of a moot issue since the refinery is set to close in the near future regardless.<\/p>\n

The company, meanwhile, has repeatedly outlined its commitment to fixing the problems it has caused \u2014 with Catellus-Deca noting that remediation is a major part of the Five Points Union development plan.<\/p>\n

\u201cPhillips 66 is committed to addressing environmental impacts from historic operations,\u201d Crossner said. \u201cFuture redevelopment of the property will facilitate and accelerate additional cleanup across the property. Over the next several years, cleanup plans for future redevelopment areas and groundwater will be developed and reviewed by the (LA) Regional Water Quality Control Board.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the challenges, the proposed development could be life-altering for Wilmington and the surrounding communities, who have borne the brunt of environmental pollution in the Southland for decades.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis project will bring real change to our area \u2013 new jobs, new energy, and a renewed sense of community,\u201d Wilmington Neighborhood Council secretary Fabiola Garcia said in the announcement. \u201cAs a lifelong resident, I have waited for something like this that residents can be proud of and that will bring positive change to our community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Information about Five Points Union is available at fivepointsunion.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Staff writer Madeline Armstrong contributed to this report.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By the end of 2025, a key part of the South Bay\u2019s legacy and historic relationship with the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":22934,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[387,7,1335,131,133,132,47,137,100,136,17411],"class_list":{"0":"post-22933","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-long-beach","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-california","10":"tag-development","11":"tag-long-beach","12":"tag-long-beach-headlines","13":"tag-long-beach-news","14":"tag-los-angeles","15":"tag-los-angeles-county","16":"tag-news","17":"tag-top-stories","18":"tag-wilmington"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22933","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22933"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22933\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22934"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22933"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22933"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22933"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}