CHAPMAN EXPANDS IRVINE FOOTPRINT
Most Orange County residents know about the dynamic growth of Chapman University in the city of Orange, but few realize Chapman’s inroads into the city of Irvine in the vicinity of Irvine Spectrum.
The Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus on Jeronimo Road opened in 2014 and includes the first pharmacy school in the county. But Chapman had long before decided not to stop there. In fact, during the past seven-plus years, the university has spent more than $70 million to assemble property in several parts of the Irvine Spectrum, purchasing buildings and leaving them leased to business firms until needed.
The latest need has led to a plan to convert to academic use a four-story office building purchased in 2012. The building, along Jeronimo Road near the original two buildings, would allow the university to expand Irvine campus enrollment from 500 students to 900, and to increase faculty and staff from 125 to 237. A nearby open lot owned by Chapman would be used for parking with 540 spaces.
Future plans include converting two buildings purchased in 2017 on a 10-acre site on Alton Parkway into a comprehensive student services center complete with dining and fitness facilities. No plans have been announced for two buildings purchased in 2016 on Hughes, also in Irvine Spectrum.
SPEAKER SERIES’ POPULARITY DEMANDS NEW SPACE
Speaker programs staged by the Newport Beach Central Library have become so popular that at times the library’s 187-seat Friends Conference Room has standing-room only crowds. As a result, the city of Newport Beach is planning to develop a larger facility to seat up to 275 attendees.
The city has set aside $7 million for the project. Now it needs to select an architectural firm with the goal of designing a facility, which would maintain its connectivity to the library/civic center complex and, as Mayor Diane Dixon put it, “be an iconic design but one which would not compete with the civic center.”
Seven architectural firms applied for consideration, and a Library Lecture Hall Design Committee has thus far narrowed the field to two firms.
NAKASE NURSERY UPROOTED FOR DEVELOPERS
One of the county’s remaining wholesale nursery outlets is Nakase Nursery on Lake Forest Drive in Lake Forest. It has been in operation since the 1990s. Now renowned residential developer Toll Brothers is seeking approval for conversion of the 122-acre nursery into a community of 776 homes in five distinct neighborhoods. Of the homes, 675 would be single-family and 101 would be rental units affordable to seniors. Included in the plan are seven parks, a private recreational facility and walking trails – 11 acres of amenities. Also planned is an elementary school.
Approvals and construction time place actual opening of residential models in 2024 or beyond.
THE PLANT TAKES ROOT
Following several years of controversy, The Plant, a mixed-use residential, retail, dining and office project planned for a 2.2-acre site on Baker Street in Costa Mesa, is headed for reality. The brainchild of Shaheen Sadeghi, who developed The Lab anti-mall and The Camp in Costa Mesa, The Plant would differ from the other two retail/dining malls by its residential component – 62 residential units, including 14 live/work units.
The Lab and The Camp gave birth to what the city of Costa Mesa calls its Sobeca District, for South Bristol Entertainment and Cultural Arts.
The Plant received approval from the city council after parking restrictions were relaxed. Former restrictions counted courtyards, hallways and other areas not devoted to specific use. The Plant will provide 243 parking spaces in two levels of parking beneath a four-story building. “Here you can live, work, shop and dine,” said Sadeghi, adding “we are building a village.”
Detailed design and construction work would place the opening over two years away.
