Compiled by Kelly Ryan
SANTA ANA
Developer Westminster Asia Plaza LLC is set to begin grading and excavation work on retail and office condominiums near Westminster Boulevard and North Harbor Boulevard. Westminster Asia Plaza plans to sell 69 units in three buildings spanning 104,527 square feet. NC Realty is handling sales with some units already reserved. Yates Associates Architects in Long Beach designed the plaza with lawyers, real estate offices, banks and doctors in mind. Units are 1,000 to 4,500 square feet. Construction began late last month and should finish by June. The project has 600 parking spaces.
FULLERTON
Plans are being finalized for a medical office building at North Harbor Boulevard a few miles from St. Jude Medical Center. The Harbor Medical Pavilion aims to attract doctors with its proximity to St. Jude, the county’s fourth-largest hospital. The 18,000-square-foot building is set to include two bottom floors of parking and offices on the third floor. A retaining wall has to be built to stabilize a hillside before construction can begin. Irvine’s Venture Development Group hopes to begin building in the fourth quarter. Tenants should be able to move in by 2010. Venture RE Group is handling leasing and marketing. The project’s architect is Theodora Attanassova of Wood Burghard Swain Architects of Irvine.
GARDEN GROVE
Construction is set to start on a retail building at Garden Grove Boulevard and Euclid Street. Los Angeles-based Festival Development Partners bought the property in the past year and should begin building sometime in September. The building could finish and be ready for tenants six months later. No tenants have signed on at this point. The building is expected to generate interest from fast food restaurants, banks and cell phone stores. The 3,400-square-foot building is a few miles from a historic downtown shopping district and is across the street from Coastline Community College’s Garden Grove center. KTGY Group Inc. of Irvine provided design consultation for the project.
HUNTINGTON BEACH
Renovation work on a retail center is nearing completion at Brookhurst Street and Hamilton Avenue. The center was anchored by a Ralphs until the store moved to a nearby location. The owner, Ayres Brookhurst Plaza LLC, then bought out the remainder of the lease. In May, Trader Joe’s signed on to lease about half of the vacated space, leaving 10,000 square feet of space still available. The owner expects interest from a clothing retailer. Renovation work began in July. The overhaul, designed by Architectural Construction Services in Costa Mesa, involves landscaping, store signs, colors and storefront elevations. Construction should be finished in October. Trader Joe’s could open in November. Pacific Construction Group in Irvine is the project’s general contractor. Long Beach-based Pacific Retail Partners is handling leasing.
SAN CLEMENTE
The city of San Clemente recently approved the sale of 9 acres of land to Target Corp. The land is on Avenida Vista Hermosa a few miles from the San Diego (I-5) Freeway. Late last year, the City Council began working with Irvine land brokerage O’Donnell/Atkins to find a buyer or tenant for the land. Target submitted a proposal to buy the property for $17.8 million to develop a 150,000-square-foot store. Plans for the store include 45,000 square feet for storage and offices. The deal is pending a final sale agreement and zoning changes. The city stands to receive $10.2 million in tax revenue during 20 years from the development of a Target store.
