In 2008 Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was pouring $1.3 billion into “Jerry World,” his state-of-the-art stadium, right in the teeth of the Great Recession. Some called it the oilman giving the finger to the GR. One of our page 1 stories this week covers the Irvine Co.’s $200 million renovation of the Spectrum Center, among the most prominent malls in its large portfolio. You may recall the developer opened the center in the midst of our self-inflicted financial debacle, the Bob Citron bankruptcy. I sensed and learned it was as much to send a message as it was a development gambit: the county is still here, Orange County Inc. is alive and growing. And right out of the gate, Spectrum went against the grain—restaurants and entertainment over retail …
Recent reinvestment may also seem counterintuitive. But it features trendy local names—Stance, Gorjana, Drybar … and also comes as traditional retail is perking up—best sales in years at Home Depot, Nordstrom …
Any local exec having a better year than Alteryx’s Dean Stoecker? Software developer keeps growing sales better than 50%, shares (NYSE: AYX) up 115%—Stoecker owns about 15%—and he and his wife just launched their private foundation i-Rise, aimed at easing college debt and bringing college-level STEM training to those without access …
Pulitzer winner and Godfather of Editors at the Business Journal, Rick Reiff, will turn down the lights on his PBS public-affairs show “Inside OC” come October. 500 shows over 14 years and several name changes.
“I am now 66 … I want to devote my time to writing, traveling and my wife.” Mary Ann Brown is a newly retired Pacific Life EVP. Reiff shared the news from the Arctic Circle on a trip with the better half. He lists Placido Domingo, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (top photo) among his favorite guests but was at pains to exclude others—locals like former Reps. John Campbell, Loretta Sanchez and Samaritans like Santa Ana engineer Don Schoendorfer, founder of Wheelchair Rescue Mission.
Reiff came to see me at Chapman University about 15 years ago about doing a show. I gave him 50 reasons not to—thankfully he ignored me—his reputation spoke for itself, he easily lured top-flight guests of all persuasions, even if two of them seemed to lose oxygen waiting for a chance to inveigh (see bottom photo).
See you on the golf course, Rick.
