Leaders of the Honda Center redevelopment, which will turn a 115-acre site in the Platinum Triangle surrounding the city’s hockey stadium into a new mixed-use project called ocVIBE, have tapped a roster of Orange County real estate and sports execs to lead the $3 billion effort.
Henry and Susan Samueli, who are among Orange County’s wealthiest families and owners of the Anaheim Ducks, are financially backing the endeavor, which is the “largest project that has ever been contemplated or built in the Platinum Triangle,” Dan Young, lead master planner for the project, told the Business Journal in June, when the project’s long-awaited plans were revealed.
The mixed-use development, branded under the ocV!BE name, expects to include 2,800 residential units, two hotels, more than 800,000 square feet of office space, a new concert venue, food hall, restaurants, parks and other amenities.
Young, the former No. 2 executive at Irvine Co., is not the only member of the development team to count a background with the area’s largest real estate firm.
Two other individuals with an Irvine Co. career history are now prominently involved in the Samueli project, which aims to receive entitlements next year, with construction likely to begin in 2023.
Team Leaders
In addition to the previously announced CEO—longtime CEO of Anaheim Arena Management LLC Tim Ryan— and master planner Young, about 11 executives have been hired to “oversee the planning, financing, construction, and eventual operation of ocVIBE,” Ryan said in a statement shared with the Business Journal.
“Under the Samueli Family ownership, this executive team is committed to delivering what will become the destination to live, work, and play in Orange County,” he said.
Fellow Irvine Co. alums include Joe O’Toole, who previously spent 16 years with Irvine Co. focusing on capital markets and governmental affairs. He has been hired as senior vice president of real estate and development; also joining is Bryce Walters, who worked for Irvine Co. for seven years in the acquisitions and development group and is now senior vice president of real estate finance at ocVIBE.
Other appointments include:
• President and Chief Operating Officer Bill Foltz, previously chief financial officer for the Anaheim Ducks, Anaheim Arena Management and the Samueli family’s H&S Ventures.
• Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Mike Beteag, who was most recently chief technology officer at H&S Ventures, and previously chief executive of Forebrain Technologies Inc.
• Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Gina Galasso, previously vice president of human resources for the Anaheim Ducks, Honda Center, The Rinks, and San Diego Gulls. Prior to this, Galasso has worked for the Walt Disney Co., Southern California Edison, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Ernst & Young.
• Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer Katie Rodin, who has served the sports and entertainment arm of Samueli-owned companies since 2008.
• Executive Vice President and Chief Venue Management Officer Kevin Starkey, who will oversee Honda Center venue operations as well as ARTIC, Arena Corporate Center, The Rinks, Great Park Ice, and Powerline Properties. Starkey’s career in public facilities and arena management includes 27 years with the Honda Center.
• Executive Vice President, Sports Division Aaron Teats oversees the group’s newly created sports division, including the Anaheim Ducks, San Diego Gulls, and The Rinks. Teats started his career with the Ducks in 1994.
• Director of Government Relations Matthew Hicks, who will oversee government relations and policy initiatives, also assisting with the development of ocVIBE. He previously worked for the Disneyland Resort and has served as a district director in the California State Assembly.
• Director of Assets Management Ian Lopez, who will work with the financial performance and operation of the entire real estate portfolio. Lopez, who previously held the same title with H&S Ventures and also worked at Cushman & Wakefield, has been involved in over $4.5 billion in real estate transactions since 2002.
