The Laguna Beach Community Land Trust has closed escrow on two canyon properties that house the Laguna Canyon Art Studios, a warren of roughly 50 live-work units and about 25,000 square feet of artist workspace. The deal effectively locks in a long-running creative stronghold that many tenants feared would be sold off or redeveloped as real estate prices climbed. For working artists trying to hang on in town, it is the kind of break that almost never comes.
The buildings at 3251 and 3275 Laguna Canyon Road changed hands for $9.5 million on Jan. 2, selling to local businessman Mark Christy, who agreed to hold the properties until the Laguna Beach Community Land Trust could step in, according to the Los Angeles Times. The paper also reports that philanthropist Patrick Quilter and his brothers put in a $3 million donation, and that Quilter privately financed the remaining balance with a loan. Longtime owner Riggie Horvath, who spent decades converting the properties into studios, said, "I’m satisfied that I could help so many artists," a feeling echoed by tenants who described sheer relief at seeing their workspaces preserved.
How the deal came together
The land trust confirmed it closed escrow on the canyon parcels this month, saying the purchases will keep the studios in nonprofit hands rather than private development, according to a press release from the City of Laguna Beach. The latest transaction builds on a December acquisition of 25 live-work units at 2307 and 2535 Laguna Canyon Road, a purchase the city helped underwrite with an $8 million loan to the trust, as reported by Spectrum News. City officials have framed the back-to-back buys as a deliberate play to protect Laguna Beach’s creative economy while the trust works out longer-term financing and management.
Artists say it's a lifeline
For artists who have worked in the canyon for years, the deal wipes away a constant worry about rent spikes and bulldozers. "I wish Riggie could live forever," painter Michael Obermeyer told the Los Angeles Times, calling the enclave "such a secret for so long." The trust has brought in the REMM Group to manage the properties while it scales up its own operations, the paper reports, and trust leaders say they intend to keep rents affordable for working artists rather than catering to the highest bidder.
What's next for the trust
Board members for the Laguna Beach Community Land Trust say the near-term to-do list includes underwriting the properties, finalizing leases with existing artists, and eventually hiring staff to run day-to-day operations. City Council records show the council signed off on amendments and a letter of intent that shaped the sale and loan terms, including consultant support and a one-time payment to help the CLT launch its operations, according to documents in the meeting archive from the City of Laguna Beach. Local leaders say the public-nonprofit partnership could offer a template for other small towns trying to save creative neighborhoods from real estate pressure.
For now, the canyon studios have a safety net, backed by nonprofit ownership and private donations that bought time for the trust to craft a permanent plan. Artists and city officials alike say they will be watching closely to see whether this experiment can keep Laguna’s artist colony thriving while development pressure keeps building outside the studio walls.
