A development near Highway 101 and Auto Center Drive in Ventura is expected to be completed in fall 2027. The city and a group of property owners have been investing millions in the area.
City officials highlighted the Olivas Park Drive extension and levee project
during a media tour on Sept. 1 to show progress on the $51 million capital improvement project, which will extend Olivas Park Drive to Johnson Drive.The project is expected to improve traffic and add flood protection and help unlock about 90 acres for future economic development.
“This is a huge deal for the city, activating 90 acres of unused land,” said Jennifer Nance, city spokesperson. She said that once the area is developed, about $1 million a year in sales tax revenue to the city is expected.
The city’s economic development department has been working to attract prospective tenants and businesses to the area, Nance said.
The total cost is approximately $51 million between the city and a group of property owners and includes design, construction and construction management fees, Nance said.
The property owners, Hofer Properties, Ventura Olivas Company and WF Golf Course, are giving 6.54 acres of public right-of-way and 13.9 acres of property for the levee, which will later be transferred to the city, Carlene Saxton, assistant city manager for Ventura, previously said.
The property owners will also provide 60,000 cubic yards of dirt and a combined cash and in-lieu contribution of about $23.4 million, she said.
Ventura councilmembers previously awarded a construction bid to Toro Enterprises, Inc. for about $37 million, she said. The approved contingency for the project's unforeseen costs is about $3.7 million.
The project is expected to be completed in September 2027, but weather-related delays are possible, Nance said.
The project broke ground in August 2025 and Nance said a grand opening will be scheduled after construction in completed.
Zach Bryant, principal construction manager for Filippin Engineering, said about 20,000 tons of aggregate base generated from concrete and asphalt removed from the old levee will be used for an access road atop the levee and as road base beneath the new roadway.
A large crusher equipped with metal teeth and grinding components was used to process the material, Bryant said.
The project has been part of the city’s plans for decades.
The concept dates back to 1988, when it was identified through the city’s traffic mitigation program, Nance said. On Sept. 13, 2021, the City Council endorsed conceptual deal points for the development agreement, according to a November 2022 Planning Commission staff report.
Wes Woods II covers West County for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at wesley.woodsii@vcstar.com, 805-437-0262 or @JournoWes.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Ventura's $51M Olivas Park Drive extension project hits midpoint
