What's Coming to Old Town Newhall's Main Street | Dubner
Published by Michelle & Jon Dubner | Dubner Real Estate Group | Equity Union
Last updated: July 15, 2026
Old Town Newhall keeps changing, and the next change is a real one. On January 27, 2026, the Santa Clarita City Council approved an agreement to start negotiating a new mixed-use project at Main Street and Railroad Avenue, right in the heart of Old Town Newhall. Michelle and Jon Dubner track development in Newhall, California closely because it shapes what buyers are actually moving into, so here is what is happening and what is still just a proposal.
Key Takeaways
- The city council approved a 6-month negotiating agreement with Serrano Development Group for Main and Railroad in January 2026.
- The proposal includes about 65 residential units, a roughly 300-stall parking structure, and about 20,750 sq ft of ground-floor commercial space.
- It mirrors the earlier Main Street project that brought Newhall Crossings and the Laemmle theater.
- Nothing has broken ground yet; a separate council vote is still required before construction.
What Was Approved in January 2026?
The city council authorized an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement, or ENA, with Serrano Development Group for a mixed-use project at the Main Street and Railroad Avenue intersection. An ENA is not a finished deal. It opens a defined negotiation window, in this case six months, and any final agreement still requires a separate city council vote to approve a Purchase and Sale Agreement before anything moves forward. This is an early, meaningful step, not a done deal.
What Site Is Involved?
The project site is three city-owned parcels: the former Coffey Parking Lot, the former Roger Dunn building, and the former Moore's Subs property, totaling about 0.86 acres with roughly 92 existing parking spaces today.
What Is Actually Being Proposed?
The current proposal includes an above-ground parking structure of about 300 stalls, estimated at roughly 20 million dollars, along with about 65 residential units, roughly 10 of them affordable to meet the state's 15 percent requirement, and about 20,750 square feet of ground-floor commercial and restaurant space. City planning director Jason Crawford has said the proposal mirrors the city's earlier Main Street redevelopment, the project that gave Old Town Newhall the Laemmle Newhall 7 theater and a public parking structure. That theater, a 7-screen, 500-seat venue, opened as part of Newhall Crossings back in April 2021, so there is a real precedent for what this kind of city partnership can deliver.
What Does This Mean If You Are Buying in Newhall?
If this project moves forward the way the earlier Main Street redevelopment did, it would add housing, parking, and ground-floor businesses right in the walkable core of Old Town Newhall, the same character-filled district that already draws buyers who want more personality than a typical planned community. Nothing here has broken ground, and the negotiation period runs through roughly mid-2026 before a purchase agreement even comes back to the council for a vote. Jon and I are watching this closely because projects like this tend to move slowly until they suddenly do not, and buyers who understand what is in the pipeline make better long-term decisions than buyers who only look at what is for sale today.
Why Does Parking Matter So Much in This Proposal?
It is worth pausing on the roughly 300-stall parking structure, because parking has been one of the most consistent complaints about Old Town Newhall's growth for years. Main Street's popularity as a walkable dining and entertainment district has outpaced its parking supply, and a dedicated structure of this size, replacing a surface lot that only holds about 92 spaces today, would meaningfully change the experience of visiting or living near Main Street. For homeowners in the surrounding character-home neighborhoods that Newhall is known for, easier parking downtown often translates into more foot traffic for local businesses and, over time, more demand for nearby homes.
Jon and I tell buyers who love the charm of Newhall that the neighborhood's biggest strength, its walkable, historic Main Street, has also been its biggest infrastructure constraint. A project that adds both housing and real parking capacity addresses that constraint directly, which is part of why we think this is worth watching even though it is still a year or more from breaking ground.
📍 See Dubner Real Estate Group on Google — homes for sale in Newhall, Santa Clarita
Thinking about what this means for your move?
Jon and I are always tracking what's actually being built and approved across the Santa Clarita Valley, not just what's for sale today. If you want the real picture before you buy or sell, reach out.
Call or text: 661-219-5517
Michelle & Jon Dubner · Dubner Real Estate Group · Equity Union
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the Santa Clarita City Council approve for Old Town Newhall in January 2026?
The council approved an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with Serrano Development Group for a mixed-use project at Main Street and Railroad Avenue. This opens a six-month negotiation window, not a finished deal.
What is on the site now?
The site is three city-owned parcels, the former Coffey Parking Lot, the former Roger Dunn building, and the former Moore's Subs property, totaling about 0.86 acres with roughly 92 existing parking spaces.
What is being proposed for the site?
The current proposal includes an above-ground parking structure of about 300 stalls, roughly 65 residential units with about 10 affordable, and about 20,750 square feet of ground-floor commercial and restaurant space.
Has anything like this been built in Old Town Newhall before?
Yes. The city's earlier Main Street redevelopment produced Newhall Crossings, including the Laemmle Newhall 7 theater, a 7-screen, 500-seat venue that opened in April 2021, along with a public parking structure. City planning director Jason Crawford has said the new proposal mirrors that approach.
Has construction started on this project?
No. As of this writing the project is still in a negotiation period, and any final deal requires a separate Santa Clarita City Council vote to approve a Purchase and Sale Agreement before it can move to construction.
Explore More
Written by Michelle & Jon Dubner
20 years serving Santa Clarita and Greater LA County. Certified Listing Specialist, top 1.5% of agents nationwide. Dubner Real Estate Group, Equity Union.
