Real estate magnate and Ambassador to Spain George Argyros stopped by the Business Journal last month for a chat on global trade. But we couldn’t keep from throwing in a few real estate questions.
I, along with others from the paper, took turns posing questions to the ambassador, who answered them with aplomb and a bit of humor.
We asked Argyros what he thought of the 10 high-rise condominium towers under construction or planned along Jamboree Road in Irvine.
“It’s the next phase,” he said, speaking broadly about Orange County. “Dense, dense, dense.”
Argyros added, “When there’s demand, things get built.”
So will Argyros get into the high-rise act?
The once and future developer said he didn’t want to be that specific. But speaking about higher density projects in general, he said, “Yes, we will be involved.”
The ambassador previously told the Business Journal that whether or not George Bush wins in November, he is ready to come home after the election.
A real estate developer told me one of his associates visited Argyros in Spain where he was extraordinarily gracious, showing his guest a fine evening. A possible reason: The ambassador was a little bored and perhaps missed doing business at home, the developer speculated.
As for Argyros’ current job, he said things have gotten harder since Spain’s conservative party was dramatically ousted following the March train bombings in Madrid. The former government of Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar was a key Iraq ally.
Argyros said the Spanish government should have postponed elections, which came just days after the attacks. He said he couldn’t fault Aznar for initially saying Basque terrorists were behind the bombings, which later were linked to Islamic extremists.
I asked the ambassador if, despite differences over Iraq, the Spanish still kept their steady diet of American pop culture that I remember from living in the capital for three years. He said they did.
When I lived in Madrid, I often watched “The Simpsons” dubbed in Spanish. The voices are almost funnier there. All major American films and many of the smaller ones play in Spain as well as our popular rock songs. The Spanish have no taste for rap, unless it’s played over a rock song like “Every Breath You Take.”
The appetite of Madrile & #324;os for our pop culture struck me as ironic, since they like to disparage our lack of culture, relatively scant history and dearth of iconic historical structures.
Starbucks, whose coffee is far too bitter to be comparable in quality to Spanish coffee at any cafe, enjoyed a steady crowd in the Salamanca district of the capital. Salamanca compares to Corona del Mar with its pricey shops and chic patrons.
Opus Opens San Diego Office
Paul Marshall, who heads the Irvine office of Phoenix-based Opus West Corp., is expanding his reach southward.
The developer opened an office in San Diego headed by Chris Wood, a former principal and senior vice president with Trammell Crow Co.
Wood is set to report to Marshall.
Opus’ Los Angeles office also reports to Marshall, whose title is senior vice president of Southern California.
Opus has developed more than 7 million square feet of commercial and residential properties in the Southland. The company entered the Southland market eight years ago.
Opus is treading new ground in Irvine with plans for three condominium high-rises on Jamboree in partnership with Scottsdale-based Geoffrey H. Edmunds & Associates Inc. The project is dubbed The Plaza Irvine.
Their plans bring the total number of condo towers planned for the area up to 10.
The Arizona developers received city approval in July for the first two condo towers, which should total 202 units, and plan to begin construction in January.
The third tower should come later and total 103 condos.
Opus also plans a four-story, 52-unit condo building at the site, which stretches from Campus Drive to Dupont Drive.
The project is set to include 11,000 square feet of shops and eateries, as well as 341 luxury apartments.
Colliers Forms New Unit
Colliers Seeley International Inc. is set to offer property management services via a new entity, dubbed Colliers Management Services, according to the company.
Colliers is teaming with Newport Beach-based Davis Partners LLC, an investment and property management firm, on the new venture. Davis manages more than 13 million square feet of real estate.
Davis still plans to serve its clients as a separate entity, according to Bob Thiergartner, Davis’ chief operating officer.
“This affiliation is smart business for both firms,” Thiergartner said in a statement. “We are expert at management, and Colliers Seeley is expert at its transactional services.”
