Westside

Westside development begins pre-sales for units Pacifica, a luxury condominium complex that seeks to revitalize part of Costa Mesa?s Westside, has started pre-sales for the first set of units it plans to open in February. The 145-unit complex at 1901 Newport Blvd., which resides between Triangle Square and the 55 Freeway, offers prices beginning upward of $500,000. In addition to living spaces, the property features a spa, a fitness center and poolside cabanas. ?This is the beginning of an urban renaissance for which Costa Mesa and Orange County have been waiting,?

COSTA MESA — Eric Nelson never forgot the shock he felt upon moving to the Westside in the mid-1990s. The Irvine native had grown up in a well-off suburb, and when he rented his first apartment after high school, he had to deal for the first time with vagrants, fenced lawns and trash dumped on the pavement. Now, Nelson, the vice president of entitlements for the Red Mountain Retail Group, has returned to the intersection where he used to live — but not as a resident.

When a group of Costa Mesa business owners founded the Westside Business Culture earlier this year, they announced a desire to remove the “stigmas” from their city’s sometimes blighted area. This weekend, the committee plans to undertake its first major project — and it’s backing a group that knows more than a little about stigmas. The Westside Business Culture, led by home developer Steve Jones, plans to support the educational nonprofit Save Our Youth at a fundraiser Saturday at the Detroit Bar. Save Our Youth launched 14 years ago to keep Westside children out of gangs, and the event — expected to feature music, food and a silent auction — seeks to raise money for after-school programs and other expenses.

The Westside Business Culture, a group of business and community leaders dedicated to revitalizing Costa Mesa’s poorest area, has appointed its first lineup of official leaders. The organization, which launched in the spring, named Steve Jones, co-owner of the home developer 1.7 Ocean, as president. Dan Bradley, owner of the Detroit Bar and Memphis Cafe, took the job of vice president, while Pete Zehnder, Jones’ partner, was appointed chairman. The committee also named Mesa Framing owner Frank Gutierrez as treasurer and Thomkin Cellars co-owner Julie Thompson-Dobkin as secretary.

COSTA MESA — The limousine pulled up to the curb outside Monce' Bravo's apartment and waited for her to descend the stairs. She appeared after a few minutes, surrounded by her family and sporting a pink shirt and shorts with a knit cap pulled snugly over her head. As the driver held the door open for her, a pair of women on the sidewalk began snapping pictures. "Can I get in now?" Monce' asked good-naturedly, pausing on her way into the back seat so the photographers could capture images of her. Monce', 12, is not a celebrity, although she got pampered like one for a few hours Thursday.

NEWPORT BEACH — Someday, Charlie Ramirez hopes to be a firefighter or police officer. That's a way in the future, though. Right now, the Costa Mesa resident is learning some other basic skills — like operating a cash register, counting change and, most importantly, saving money. Charlie, 13, is one of the youths participating in this year's Job Club, an annual summer program put on by the Westside community organization Mika. For six weeks in July and August, 12- and 13-year-olds learn the ropes of employment at a number of businesses around town, from tiny shops on the Balboa Peninsula to Vanguard University and the Los Angeles Times.

IF YOU GO Public meeting on cleanup plan for 1640 Monrovia Ave., where soil was contaminated by industrial uses and mixed use development is now proposed WHAT: WHEN: Open house from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., May 9. Meeting begins at 6 p.m. WHERE: Costa Mesa City Council chambers, 77 Fair Drive INFO: Call Julie Johnson at (714) 484-5337 or view the cleanup plan at the Costa Mesa Branch Library, 1855 Park Ave. COSTA MESA — The site of one of the earliest projects proposed for the Westside overlay zone must be cleaned up before construction can begin.

Costa Mesa police had eight people in custody after a shooting Wednesday evening near Pomona Avenue and James Street on the Westside. No one was hurt in the shooting, which happened at 5:40 p.m., but police believe it was gang-related, Costa Mesa Police Lt. Dale Birney said. Several anxious neighbors said crime has been rising in the neighborhood. A park ranger headed toward the area after hearing shots fired, according to police. At the same time, two off-duty officers saw a suspicious vehicle leaving the area of the shooting, police said.

The Westside Business Culture. Sounds hip, sounds cool. And by the sounds of it, it could be the answer — or at least the catalyst — to changing the image of the Westside from a blighted slum to a thriving destination spot. City leaders have done, and will continue to do, much to change the run-down nature of the Westside. Now, the Westside Business Culture, a conglomerate of business leaders with backgrounds in home development, the surfing industry, magazine media and restaurants and bars, will put market forces to work to erase the stigma of the past and make the much-maligned area of town "a place to stay and play."