Costa Mesa / Central Orange County
Boutique fitness in Costa Mesa clusters in two places. East 17th Street has [solidcore] at 369 E. 17th, StretchLab in Mesa Center East (277 to 291 E 17th) and the Saunatica sauna studio at 17th Street CVS & Shops. Harbor Boulevard has Club Pilates at 2951 and F45 at Costa Mesa Square (3030). The CAMP on Bristol Street adds Trim Fitness Studio for independent operators. The zoning makes the class of use matter a great deal: a 'physical fitness facility' needs a conditional use permit in every commercial zone where it is allowed, while a dance, martial arts or similar studio is permitted by right in C1 and C2, and both are parked at 10 spaces per 1,000 sq ft.
Population
110,330
Median HHI
$111,505
Median age
36.7
Homeownership
39.6%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates.
Primary retail corridors
Harbor Boulevard · Bristol Street · 17th Street · Newport Boulevard · Sunflower Avenue
Specific shopping centers in Costa Mesa that already carry credible co-tenancy for this use. Listed in approximate order of fit.
17th Street, eastside Costa Mesa
Anchors / key tenants: independent boutiques, dining, and specialty retail
Walkable eastside Costa Mesa shopping corridor. Tenants include Sidecar Doughnuts and Coffee, Garduno's Italian, Almond Surfboards, Erin Cole bridal, and No Rest for Bridget. Strong neighborhood-and-Newport crossover.
2937 Bristol Street
Anchors / key tenants: independent, sustainability-tilted lifestyle retail
Curated indie center mixing shopping with sports and outdoor activities. Strong fit for boutique fitness, specialty food, and lifestyle/sport brands that wouldn't work in a national mall.
1870 Harbor Boulevard
Anchors / key tenants: entertainment, dining, and nightlife
Westside Costa Mesa entertainment/dining center at Harbor/Newport split. Walkable to coastal residential and visitor traffic.
Existing operators are the most honest comp for whether a use can support Costa Mesa rents. These are publicly visible fitness space businesses currently trading in the market.
Club Pilates Costa Mesa
2951 Harbor Boulevard, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Reformer Pilates studio, per Club Pilates' own location page, which shows it open (not coming soon) with a seven-day schedule.
F45 Training Costa Mesa Square
3030 Harbor Boulevard E, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Listed in F45's studio finder. Starbucks' and Sprouts' own locators name 3030 Harbor Boulevard as Costa Mesa Square, where Target (Suite A) and Sprouts (Suite D) are the large tenants.
[solidcore] Costa Mesa
369 E. 17th Street, #29, Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Per solidcore's own studio page. On the East 17th Street corridor.
StretchLab
Mesa Center East, 277 to 291 E 17th Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Assisted-stretch studio named by the owner, DMP Properties, in this Target-anchored center. Suite not confirmed.
Saunatica
17th Street CVS & Shops, 171 to 179 E 17th Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92627
DMP Properties calls it Costa Mesa's newest sauna experience, in a roughly 77,000 sq ft center anchored by CVS, Baja Fish Tacos and Vons (not a part).
Trim Fitness Studio
The CAMP, 2937 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
The CAMP's store list describes Lagree Method and VersaClimber classes, run by a local owner-trainer.
01
Classification: Table 13-30 row 124, 'Physical fitness facilities', needs a conditional use permit in C1, C2, C1-S, TC and PDC and is prohibited in AP and CL. Row 142, 'Studios: dance; martial arts; music, etc.', is permitted in C1, C2, C1-S and PDC and needs a minor conditional use permit in TC. Section 13-30(d) leaves an unlisted use to the development services director, so get a written determination on whether a Pilates, barre, yoga or stretch studio is a 'studio' or a 'physical fitness facility' before you sign. The difference is a Planning Commission hearing.
02
Parking: Table 13-89 parks 'Health clubs; spas; figure salons' and 'dancing and music academies' at 10 spaces per 1,000 sq ft, against 4 per 1,000 for retail. A 3,000 sq ft studio needs 30 spaces instead of 12. The code sets one rate regardless of size (we found no square-footage threshold). Section 13-89.5 lets the Zoning Administrator reduce parking by minor conditional use permit where demand is shown to be lower, and mixed-use sites use the City's shared parking procedure, so class schedules that peak outside retail hours can help.
03
Grocery-anchored co-tenancy: F45 sits at Costa Mesa Square (3030 Harbor Boulevard) with Target and Sprouts, and StretchLab at Mesa Center East next to Target. In a grocery or Target center, ask for the reciprocal easement agreement and any use or parking restrictions before planning a class studio, since morning and evening class peaks overlap grocery traffic.
04
Noise: Section 13-280 limits noise on any residential property to 55 dB(A) from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and 50 dB(A) overnight, and those limits drop by 5 dB(A) when the noise is music or impact noise. Section 13-281 limits noise inside dwellings to 55 and 45 dB(A). Amplified classes, dropped weights and early classes near homes or under apartments need sound isolation planned into the build-out.
05
Master and specific plans: Section 13-30(b), (f) and (g) require uses in planned development zones to match the adopted master plan and send specific plan and urban plan sites to that plan's text. Ask Planning whether a site (for example in a mixed-use overlay on Harbor or Newport Boulevard) is covered before relying on rows 124 and 142 alone.
06
Hearing path: under Section 13-29 the Planning Commission decides conditional use permits and the Zoning Administrator decides minor conditional use permits. Build the hearing and the appeal period into the lease contingency and the rent start date.
Zoning, licensing, and demographic figures on this page come from the public records below. Codes and licenses change, so confirm with the city and the licensing agency before you sign.