Compiled by Kelly Ryan and Paul Hughes
FULLERTON
Habitat for Humanity plans to build three affordable homes near the corner of Yorba Linda Boulevard and Imperial Highway. This will be Habitat’s first mixed-income development in Orange County and its first group of homes in Yorba Linda. Two of the homes will be moderately priced, while the third will target a low-income family earning less than $46,500 a year. Major funding for the project comes from The Friends Church in Yorba Linda. KTGY Group Inc. in Irvine designed the homes, with civil engineering by BG Engineering and RBF Consulting. Volunteers will begin building the homes in March with completion slated for October. The land was transferred to Habitat in November 2008 by the Redevelopment Agency of the city of Yorba Linda as a grant in exchange for workforce homes being sold to city residents.
IRVINE
Wermers Multi-Family Corp. began construction on its affordable housing development near the corner of Trabuco Road and Sand Canyon Avenue. The Arbor at Woodbury will offer less expensive housing to 90 families. The entire 77,000-square-foot complex is expected to cost $24.6 million.
NEWPORT BEACH
Anaheim Hills-based Bomel Construction Co. began work on a parking structure at Fashion Island in anticipation of a Nordstrom department store. The structure adds 597 stalls to an existing facility, bringing total parking in that area to 1,700 spots. Bomel should be finished with construction in September as the department store is expected to open in spring 2010. The project architect is International Parking Design in Irvine. Irvine Company owns Fashion Island.
ORANGE
A franchisee of Arco, part of BP America Inc., is building a gas station and AM/PM at 1935 E. Katella Ave. after buying the old one on the 36,000-square-foot site from BP America and demolishing it. The old station and underground tanks were gone in the summer. The concrete now is in place and Collins Construction and Development of Hesperia is erecting the 3,200-square-foot store at the Katella exit off the Costa Mesa (55) Freeway. Selecta Design Group Inc. of Tustin drew the plans. Labco of Walnut is the engineering contractor. Tait & Associates in Santa Ana did pre-construction environmental work.
Walgreen Co. began work on a 14,820-square-foot Walgreens in Orange, with the pulling of permits in early December. There also are plans for a second, 8,400-square-foot building, set for retail or restaurant space. No tenant has been named. Bulldozers are onsite and general contractor Savant Construction of Chino is preparing to work on the drug store. The Walgreens replaces a Drug Emporium at 1538 E. Chapman Ave., near Tustin Street. The site is near an independent restaurant and a Togo’s/Baskin-Robbins dual store. There is also a Valero gas station on the corner.
TUSTIN
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange and Kisco Senior Living LLC of Carlsbad are planning an independent and assisted living community on 7.5 acres, three blocks north of the corner of 17th Street and Newport Avenue in North Tustin. The land currently is zoned for housing, a church or a school, and the planning process is just getting under way. The idea is for 153 units to house 170 residents in two-story apartment buildings and 19 one-story attached bungalows. The architect is Architectural Concepts Inc. of Largo, Fla. Parking is underground and the designs limit the entrances to two driveways on Newport Boulevard. The diocese has owned the land since 1955 and will continue to be the landlord. Kisco, generally a developer and operator of its own portfolio, will build and operate this as a nonprofit community for the diocese. Privately held Kisco oversees 24 communities in six states.
If you’re a developer or city planner and would like to see a project featured in Around the County, please contact Kelly Ryan at
ryan@ocbj.com
or (949) 833-8373. The column covers projects in Orange County’s cities and unincorporated areas, and some projects in Corona. Commercial, housing and retail projects are the focus of the column. Some larger public works projects also are included.
