Renovation

With an $18-million renovation of the Pacific Amphitheatre planned over the next few years at the Orange County Fairgrounds, the public is getting a chance to learn about the first phase this week at an open house. Scheduled from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the fairground's administration building off Arlington Drive, Fair Board members will be on hand to meet and answer questions from the public. The board approved the first phase of the project, a $4.5 million improvement, late last year.

The Orange County Fair Preservation Society plans to drop its lawsuit against the Orange County Fairgrounds over a proposed renovation of the Pacific Amphitheatre, a member of the heritage group said Thursday. The society's Sandy Genis said members agreed to abandon the lawsuit challenging the legality of improving and remodeling the concert venue without updated environmental studies if fairgrounds officials agreed to consistently monitor noise levels and provide residents with an open line to voice complaints.

The show was just getting started at OCC with the opening of the $35-million library in January, school officials said. Up next: a $12-million renovation of the Lewis Center for Applied Sciences set to open in July. The Lewis Center is home to the college’s marine, geology, physics and astronomy programs and has been closed since the fall, said Richard Pagle, vice president of administrative services. The two-story, 30,000 square-foot building will get a little more storage space and a new interior, Pagle said.

Paul Clinton Leaders of the Greenlight movement praised the Hyatt Newporter's restoration as an ideal example of restrained growth. Hotel managers, during their process, won't be required to seek a public vote on the plan because it doesn't significantly expand the hotel. "That's the kind of development that Greenlight supports," said Phil Arst, the Greenlight spokesman, "upgrading older areas of the city, rather than adding density." The Greenlight initiative, passed in 2000, requires a public vote for large-scale development that either exceeds certain size thresholds or needs an amendment to the city's general plan.

Michael Miller whose initials, many have joked, stand for "under construction indefinitely" -- has started work on one of its most ambitious renovations to date. This spring, PCL Construction and the Rossetti design firm started work on a massive renovation of the UC Irvine Student Center, which sits across the street from the parking garage on Pereira Drive and acts as a gateway of sorts to the campus. When the finished structure opens in 2007, the center will be expanded to a European-style town square with new restaurants, a marketplace area and a four-story, 169,000-square-foot tower.

JOSEPH N. BELL My wife and I have just emerged from a period of cosmetic renovation of our home, and it underscored once again the vast difference in approach to this sort of thing between men and women -- a generalization I believe implicitly and will defend stoutly. I tend to look at our house the same way I regard a very special pair of khaki pants I would probably wear all the time if they didn't have to be washed periodically. They are luxuriously comfortable, the requirement I place the highest.

Paul Clinton The new owners of the Hyatt Newporter have launched a $14-million renovation of the city's oldest hotel. Sunstone Hotel Investors, based in San Clemente, are fleshing out a plan expected to result in a far-reaching overhaul of the former Newporter Inn, which was built in 1962. Managers at the 403-room resort say the work, which is long overdue, will lift what is now considered a second-tier hotel to a higher level of luxury and comfort in a marketplace that includes the five-star Four Seasons and new Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa. The Balboa Bay Club is also set to unveil a revamped hotel in May. "[The renovation]

The Costa Mesa City Council will likely move forward with the renovation of five alleyways in the city, including a controversial alley between Walnut and Esther streets. That alley, the renovation of which had been challenged by a neighbor whose property abuts it, will move forward after her attempts to rehear the issue failed, said Public Services Director Peter Naghavi. “One resident requested to continue this discussion, but City Council decided not to and we are moving forward with the design,” he said.

Costa Mesa residents shouldn’t find any services lacking while Police Department employees continue their shift into the larger, renovated main building, officials said Monday. “Everything’s gotten better [for residents],” said Lt. Clay Epperson, working out of the station’s new watch commander’s office. Two years ago this month, city officials broke ground on the first major renovation of the Police Department in more than 40 years at the cost of $27 million.

The first stage of Pacific Amphitheatre's renovation began this week, kicking off a process that officials say ultimately will make the Orange County Fairgrounds venue more intimate. The nearly 3-acre outer berm section of the amphitheater, which crews began excavating Wednesday, is being rebuilt into a more park-like setting that will provide a festival-like space for vendors, and potentially will dissipate much of the noise that has been a long-standing complaint of neighborhoods adjacent to the 150-acre, state-run facility in Costa Mesa.

One of the more traumatic moments of my life was the night I was ruled too unhip to enter a club. No, it wasn't Studio 54 with its infamous velvet rope - it was a far less prestigious nightclub in England that, nevertheless, scanned me for an instant and turned me away. A group of grad-student friends and I stood in line for nearly half an hour, and when we reached the front, the doorman nodded toward my pale blue jeans and smirked, "Sorry, mate. Can't wear light-colored pants in here.

The new Port Theater, which has been under renovation for more than a decade, will open to the public on Friday with a showing of the movie “Bernie,” owner Fariborz Maseeh has confirmed. “We now have a theatre again in CDM!” Maseeh said in a statement. “We hope the new Port will offer a unique experience for its patrons across the spectrum of all art and entertainment platforms.” The Port Theater opened in the 1950s with 900 seats. It closed in 1998 and was slated for demolition when it was sold.

The Orange County Fair Preservation Society plans to drop its lawsuit against the Orange County Fairgrounds over a proposed renovation of the Pacific Amphitheatre, a member of the heritage group said Thursday. The society's Sandy Genis said members agreed to abandon the lawsuit challenging the legality of improving and remodeling the concert venue without updated environmental studies if fairgrounds officials agreed to consistently monitor noise levels and provide residents with an open line to voice complaints.

Bethel Towers in Costa Mesa will likely continue to serve low-income seniors for the next 55 years, thanks to a $37-million, tax-free bond issued to an Irvine-based developer Tuesday. The California Statewide Communities Development Authority required the City Council's approval to float the bond to Reiner Communities because the 18-story apartment complex at 678 W. 19 t h St. is within the city's jurisdiction. The approval paves the way for massive renovations to the 45-year-old building, including installing a fire sprinkler system, new flooring and lighting, and other aesthetic upgrades.

Sage Hill School's Ramer Field is getting a makeover, thanks to Gary and Lisa Jabara and their family. The Jabara family has donated more than $1 million to renovate Ramer Field, including new artificial turf and a new running track, which will benefit the football, boys' and girls' soccer, lacrosse and track and field programs. "Sage Hill School offers a world-class educational experience that enriches the lives of all Sage Hill students," Lisa Jabara said in a press release.

With the veil lifted, theater buffs were some of the first to see inside the renovated Port Theater during the building's sneak preview Saturday.  The historic Corona del Mar film house hosted filmmaking seminars during the annual Newport Beach Film Festival.  Audience members oohed and aahed as wood-paneled doors opened to the public for the first time since the theater closed in 1998. One of the few remaining single-screen cinemas, the Port was originally built in the 1950s.

Due to the need for costly renovations, the city of Newport Beach will not accept a donated bronze sculpture once displayed at Fashion Island. The Newport Beach Arts Commission unanimously voted Thursday to decline the Irvine Co.'s donation of "Skydivers" because of the estimated $135,000-plus cost of renovating, moving and installing the iconic work. "It really is such a piece of our history and our community that would be lovely to keep," if it weren't for the cost of renovation, said commission Chairwoman Robyn Grant.

With an $18-million renovation of the Pacific Amphitheatre planned over the next few years at the Orange County Fairgrounds, the public is getting a chance to learn about the first phase this week at an open house. Scheduled from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the fairground's administration building off Arlington Drive, Fair Board members will be on hand to meet and answer questions from the public. The board approved the first phase of the project, a $4.5 million improvement, late last year.

NEWPORT BEACH - It's been a busy couple of years for Fashion Island, which added 40 new stores and restaurants as part of a $100-million cash infusion. As the wave of change for the Irvine Co.-owned coastal shopping center trickles off - this month marked the Island Cinemas' reopening as officials announced Whole Foods Market's arrival in the fall - weekend foot-traffic is up 20% over last year, said Dan Sheridan, president of the Irvine Co.'s retail properties. "The idea behind the reinvestment was building upon a location that cannot be replicated," Sheridan said, referring to the center's proximity to the coast, parks, open spaces and affluent neighborhoods.