Mark Mueller
Editor
Mark Mueller covers commercial and residential real estate for the Orange County Business Journal. His beat also includes title insurers and mortgage lenders, as well as government stories that relate to real estate. He can be reached at mueller@ocbj.com.
Phone: 949-833-8373 Extension: 226
Recent Stories
Chip Switch: Skyworks Expands Local Ops
REAL ESTATE: Takes over former Broadcom office near UCI
Skyworks Solutions Inc., Orange County’s third largest maker of computer chips by local employee count, appears poised to significantly expand its operations after striking a large lease near its existing Irvine offices.
Irvine Esports Co. Going Public
GAMING: Allied, World Poker Tour part of $214M merger
Orange County’s role as a hub in the fast-growing esports industry will become even more pronounced after one of its main corporate players, Allied Esports International Inc., sets up headquarters in Irvine and goes public this year via a reverse merger.
Mo, Better Booze
Mo Honarkar could soon supplant Dane Eiler “the Greeter” Larsen as Laguna Beach’s best-known local after buying a stretch of city properties along Coast Highway, including the iconic Hotel Laguna (the Insider’s favorite wedding spot), which Honarkar vows to restore “to its former glory.”
Senior Housing Developers Pay $21M for IBC Site
DEVELOPMENT: SmartHome site eyed for congregate care
A Dallas-based developer of senior living properties has bought a 3-acre site along Barranca Parkway in Irvine, and plans to start construction later this year on one of the city’s largest and amenity-heavy residential complexes for older residents.
Buchanan Street Adds to Rental Portfolio in Colorado
$72.5M Buy Tops for ’18 In Colorado Springs
Buchanan Street Partners closed 2018 on a high note, completing one of the largest apartment transactions of the year in Colorado.
Hotel Laguna Revamp Planned by New Owner
Honarkar Takes Over 7 Properties Along PCH
Businessman Mo Honarkar, a Laguna Beach resident who’s among the city’s largest real estate owners, said last week he added seven new properties along South Coast Highway to his portfolio, including the iconic Hotel Laguna.
Bob’s the Builder
Olson Brings Hotel Glitz to NB, Irvine, Dana Point
It’s been a whirlwind period of growth for Bob Olson, who over a 10-year stretch has gone from Orange County’s biggest and best-known hotel developer, to the largest in Southern California, to the most prolific in the Golden State.
Edwards’ Office Expansion Push Leads to Costa Mesa
Big Office Lease Reported At The Met Complex
Orange County’s largest public company, Edwards Lifesciences Corp. (NYSE:EW), appears to be expanding its local operations and is taking up space in areas outside its Irvine home.
Business Bites
Other items of interest Orange County Business Journal Vol. 42, No. 1
Sales totals at Orange County’s largest master-planned communities fell by more than 50% in 2018 amid the close-out of some larger projects in the area, according to a new report from John Burns Real Estate Consulting.
Lights, Karma, Action
Yachts usually take center stage during the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade, but Bob Olson’s ornately-decorated home on Balboa Island caught plenty of attention on the first day of the city’s annual holiday extravaganza, both for its exterior decorations and the guests for a Dec. 20 event there.