Irvine Spectrum

COSTA MESA — The Irvine Co. has expanded into the Orange County Theater & Arts District with the acquisition of the Pacific Arts Plaza, company officials announced last week. The Pacific Arts Plaza, an 827,000-square-foot property, has four office buildings and four restaurants, including Mastro's Steakhouse and TGI Friday's, at 611 Anton Blvd., 675 Anton Blvd., 3200 Park Center and 3200 Bristol St. With the addition of Pacific Arts Plaza property, the Newport Beach-based company says it now has a meaningful presence of all four Class-A office markets in Orange County.

IRVINE — The city-operated iShuttle program, which connects the Tustin Metrolink station to the Irvine Business Complex, will be funded largely by the Orange County Transportation Authority for the next 30 years. The City Council last week approved an agreement with OCTA that would allow the city to recover 90% of its annual operating costs and eventually expand service to the Irvine Spectrum. Under the agreement, the city will receive $121.3 million over three decades, beginning with $770,000 in January to operate and maintain the iShuttle for the current fiscal year, according to a city staff report.

Newport-Mesa residents participated in a rally to support the public option for health care.  Over one hundred empty medicine bottles were stuffed with personal messages to Senator Diane Feinstein from citizens about the health care they got (or didn’t get) under the status quo.   The purpose of the rally was to urge Sen. Feinstein to continue to champion the Public Option.   The rally was held on November 4th at Irvine Spectrum, and was coordinated by MoveOn.

The Irvine Co. laid off an undisclosed number of workers last week to help reduce staff by 3%. The cuts represent part of a plan the company announced in September. As a real estate developer and the owner of several retail and residential properties — all industries hit particularly hard by the recession — the company has reduced its workforce to increase efficiency, according to company spokesman Gary Delsohn. “Obviously we’re in the worst economic downturn anyone can remember,” Delsohn said.

The Irvine Co. laid off an undisclosed number of workers last week as part of a plan the company announced in September to reduce its staff by 3%. As a real estate developer and the owner of several retail and residential properties – all industries hit particularly hard by the recession – the company has reduced its workforce in order to streamline, according to company spokesman Gary Delsohn. “Obviously we’re in the worst economic downturn anyone can remember,” Delsohn said.

Vast contingency plans aimed at keeping OC Marathon runners and volunteers safe during a projected rainstorm were for naught Sunday, when about 14,000 runners participated in a mostly clear race from Newport Center to the Irvine Spectrum. “It all worked out beautifully, because [the rain] held off long enough to get everything set-up and the runners on their marks,” Assistant Race Director Mike Bone said. “Things went a lot better than planned.” Though there were intermittent drizzles later in the morning, the storm did not match the projected downpour of 2 to 5 inches and flash flood warnings issued earlier in the weekend by the National Weather Service.

The Avia Orange County Marathon will take place Sunday, Jan. 6, and the CureDuchenne Crusaders have made the list as a 2008 selected charity. According to its website, the Corona del Mar chapter of Cure Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy had the largest team ? charity or otherwise ? to compete in the 2007 O.C. marathon, securing them a spot next year. The CureDuchenne Crusaders are asking the public to help by joining their team to ?run or walk for the boys who can?t,? or by volunteering on the day of the event.

Dan Marcheano, owner of The Arches restaurant, is doing his part to help Jolanda Graham’s team, Kaelyn’s Kause, reach their sponsorship goal to participate in the American Heart Assn. Heart Walk Sept. 16 at the Irvine Spectrum. Graham’s daughter Kaelyn Alexandria, 3, was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, a congenital heart defect in which the left side of the heart, including the aorta, aortic valve and mitral valve is underdeveloped. Marcheano, who met Kaelyn and her family about a year ago, is asking the community to help support the Grahams.

They may not be South Coast Plaza or the Irvine Spectrum, but Costa Mesa’s alternative shopping centers are anticipating big business in the weeks before school begins — in large part because they’re not South Coast Plaza or the Irvine Spectrum. The Lab and the Camp, across from each other on Bristol Street, are offering heavy back-to-school sales as summer vacation draws to a close. Monet Quick, the marketing and communications director for both centers, said the stores’ demographic has expanded far beyond the student crowd that first made them popular, but the late summer was still their best business time before Christmas.

They may not be South Coast Plaza or the Irvine Spectrum, but Costa Mesa’s alternative shopping centers are anticipating big business in the weeks before school begins — in large part because they’re not South Coast Plaza or the Irvine Spectrum. The Lab and the Camp, across from each other on Bristol Street, are offering heavy back-to-school sales as summer vacation draws to a close. Monet Quick, the marketing and communications director for both centers, said the stores’ demographic has expanded far beyond the student crowd that first made them popular, but the late summer was still their best business time before Christmas.