Main Street has seven empty commercial spaces as of Saturday, Feb. 28.
The Sun counted the empty spaces over the weekend.
There are 136 active businesses on Main, according to Chad Berlinghieri of Seal Beach City Rotary.
The empty space count is expected to decrease at an unknown time in the future: A sign in the window of 246 Main says “Seal Beach Vintage” will be opening. 216 Main is expected to open up a store called Stuff. (The Sun used to operate out of that space but is now at 1500 PCH, Unit G.) As previously reported, the owners of the former Bank of America building at 208 Main St. have obtained local and state permits to convert the building into a restaurant.
One the 100 block, 127 Main remains empty. A sign in the window advertises a pet grooming store will open in the fall of 2025. (That’s not a typo. The poster went up before the fall of 2025.) A new business at 128 Main offers dog (and owner) items.
A former clothing store at 327 Main is available for lease.
In Aug. 2025, the count was nine empty spaces. Since then, Walt’s Wharf has reopened.
City strategic plans
The City Council discussed updating the Main Street Specific Plan during the 2025 Strategic Planning Session. (See “Seal Beach to review Main Street plan” at sunnews.org.) The Specific Plan dates back to 1996.
Changes to the Main Street Specific Plan will have to go through the Planning Commission and the City Council. Any changes to parking policy will also be subject to the review of the California Coastal Commission.
The city has created a Citizen-Council Business First Advisory Ad-Hoc Committee, to be made up of two council members and five at-large members. The deadline to apply to the committee was Feb. 20.
As of Tuesday, Feb. 24, Seal Beach had received nine applications, according to an email from City Clerk Gloria Harper.
The City Council is expected to appoint the members of the Business First Committee in the near future.
The Strategic Planning meeting also discussed beautification of Main Street. (See “City seeks to balance beauty, character on Main” at sunnews.org.) Ideas discussed included washing the sidewalks more frequently, improving the street lighting, and possibly replacing the trees on Main Street. (Please note that Sun polls are informal, not scientific.)
The council is also expected to look at paid parking on Main. (See “Council looks at paid parking on Main” at sunnews.org.)
