What’s Jim Jannard up to in the Trousdale neighborhood of Beverly Hills? The founder of Oakley Inc. and boss of Irvine-based camera maker Red Digital is putting up a “concrete behemoth” in place of a home designed by famed 20th century architect-to-the-stars Harold W. Levitt, according to the New York Times. Don’t know if that’s faint praise, but the Insider figures Jannard’s track record gives him the benefit of the doubt on style points. He’ll need them, too, with Elton John, Jane Fonda and Vera Wang among his new neighbors …
Who remembers when oranges were a cash crop in Orange County? A three-bedroom house in Emerald Bay that’s listed for $10.5 million tracks back to those days. It was designed by Ted Grenzbach—also known as an architect to Hollywood stars—for late citrus growers June and Victor Andrews, the latter of whom served as Richard Nixon’s OC campaign chair in 1968 and 1972. It’s now owned by their daughter, June Ireland, who told the Wall Street Journal she plans to move to Texas to be nearer to her children and grandchildren …
Speaking of cash crops: Largely unnoted in coverage of Pimco cofounder Bill Gross’ call last week on fellow “One Percenters” to pony up more taxes on capital gains and carried interest: His Total Return Fund has $87.5 billion invested in U.S. bonds—about 35% of its total portfolio—which no doubt gives him a unique perspective and stake in the fiscal health of the federal government …
Arte Moreno is taking his share of knocks lately—so much so that the Insider is inclined to give him a tip of the hat just for standing in there. Just look how far Moreno drilled down to find some statistics that offered a bright spot in a recent letter to season ticket holders. The Angels were “the only club in baseball with three players (Mike Trout, Josh Hamilton and Mark Trumbo) to produce at least 20 home runs, 30 doubles, 70 runs and 75 RBI.” Moreno also wrote that he hopes to wrap up negotiations with the city on a new Angel Stadium lease “within the next few months” …
Moreno’s role as top heat-taker left pitcher Jerome Williams, Bullpen Coach Steve Soliz, former Angels Jim Abbott, Bobby Grich, Clyde Wright, Justin Speier and Chairman Dennis Kuhl clear for kudos on last weekend’s Bank of America Orange County Little League Challenger Classic, which gave more than 900 children with physical and mental disabilities the chance to play in the annual tournament at Angel Stadium …
Hai Di Lao Hot Pot, a China-based restaurant chain that will put its first U.S. location in Arcadia—part of the suburban Chinatown in the San Gabriel Valley—plans to open its second U.S. restaurant in Irvine. Where? Here’s a bet on Diamond Jamboree, where Taiwan-based 85°C Bakery Café regularly has lines out the door …
Hai Di Lao execs back in China can get a read of the landscape in the Sept. 26 edition of the Business Journal, which included an advertising supplement about Irvine. City staffers took a bunch of issues along with them on a trade mission to Asia and had one-sheet summaries translated in Korean and Chinese.
