Orange County: Projects and Developments

[dragonsky]

Originally Posted by The Source

http://sourceatbeach.com/construction.temp.shtml

• Video Link

http://sourceatbeach.com/
The Source is a brand new, highly anticipated retail destination that combines a modern and dynamic urban design, featuring a world-class selection of shopping, dining and entertainment.

[dragonsky]

Originally Posted by OC Register

It's done! 3-year project to widen 57 freeway ends
Celebration welcomes new northbound lane between Placentia and Brea, other upgrades.
MORGAN COOK / STAFF WRITER
Published: May 15, 2014 Updated: 4:27 p.m.

Nearly 100 transportation officials, lawmakers and others gathered Wednesday morning in Brea to celebrate the successful widening of northbound State Route 57 between Placentia and Brea.

The $104-million project added a new northbound lane to a 5-mile stretch of the SR-57 freeway between Orangethorpe Avenue in Placentia and Lambert Road in Brea. The three-year-long construction project also included work on 12 ramps, 13 bridges and three miles of new sound walls.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/b...n-project.html

[UserName01010]

I started a new blog where I will provide updates to new and planned high density developments in Orange County.

Link:

http://orangecountydensedevelopment.blogspot.com/

Thanks!

[dragonsky]

Originally Posted by LA Times

Disney park crowding reveals options: Hike rates or expand
HUGO MARTIN
5/21/14

The Happiest Place on Earth" has become one of the most crowded.

Tourists and annual pass holders are flooding Disneyland and California Adventure in large numbers, causing headaches for guests and park officials. Waits for rides often stretch over an hour, and visitors are having to park in remote structures, particularly on Sundays.

Industry experts say the crowding problem leaves Walt Disney Co. with two options: Keep hiking rates until attendance becomes manageable, or expand the park.

Over the weekend, the Anaheim park raised single-day ticket prices by $4 to $96 and temporarily halted new sales of a popular annual pass for Southern California residents. Disneyland officials say they have no current plans for a new Anaheim park, but that hasn't stopped speculation.

Many longtime park watchers say now may be the time to dust off plans, dating to 2000, to build a third park on a 78-acre site just south of Disney's complex on Harbor Boulevard.

Those plans were shelved while the company focused on the 2001 opening of Disney California Adventure, which fell short of expectations until a $1-billion expansion in 2012 added the hugely successful Cars Land.

After Disney acquired Marvel Entertainment Inc. in 2009 and Lucasfilm in 2012, many fans hoped a third park would feature Marvel superheroes or characters from the "Star Wars" franchise.

"Maybe they'll do Star Wars Land or Indiana Jones Adventure or Marvel characters," said Todd Regan, founder of the Disney blog site MiceChat.com. "It will be interesting to see what happens."

At least for now, Disneyland officials say they are focused on expanding parking. They're buying a lot at the corner of Harbor Boulevard and Ball Road with room for 1,400 parking spaces for employees, freeing up more parking for guests.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...521-story.html

[dragonsky]

Originally Posted by LA Times

Hotel with exclusive indoor water park is rising near Disneyland
By Roger Vincent

A big hotel with its own indoor water park is being built near Disneyland as a growing Wisconsin resort operator brings a new tourist attraction to Southern California..

Construction officially started Wednesday on a $300-million woodsy-themed inn and family entertainment complex in Garden Grove that will be the first of its kind in the region.

Unlike most other water parks in the West, the recreation areas at Great Wolf Lodge Southern California will be almost entirely indoors and accessible only to overnight guests when it opens in early 2016.

The development on Harbor Boulevard south of Disneyland is a gamble in scope and style. The suites-only lodge will have 600 rooms and its immense aqua attraction will not be exposed to the sunshine that once made Orange County an agricultural oasis.

Making the 100,000-square-foot water park exclusive to resort guests is central to its appeal, she said.

"It's never overrun, never overcrowded," Storey said. "And there are always plenty of towels."

Suites, which sleep at least six, will start at about $250 a night, she said. Each unit will have a refrigerator and a microwave oven.

The 12-acre hotel, resort and conference center will be developed by Colorado real estate firm McWhinney in a joint venture with co-owner and operator Great Wolf Resorts. The vast complex will have multiple recreational options under one roof intended to entertain guests' children.

Among them will be miniature golf, a motion-simulation theater, an arcade, "mini" bowling and a kid spa offering ice cream-themed manicures and pedicures. There will also be an adventure game in which kids embark on quests through the resort, and evening story time by the lodge's grand lobby fireplace.

Dining options will include a bar and grill, a pizza parlor, a hamburger joint and a sweet shop.

But the raison d'être of Great Wolf Lodge will be the water park, with zones intended for toddlers up to adults. The Howlin' Tornado slide will start in a funnel and drop six stories, and the Wolf Tail slide will take riders in a 360-degree loop.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...522-story.html

[UserName01010]

Blog update which includes new updated construction pictures of the Great Wolf Resort among other high density developments in Orange County.

Pic Below: There is now a construction crane at the Great Wolf Resort site in the City of Garden Grove!



You can view more pics and read more here: http://orangecountydensedevelopment.blogspot.com/

Thanks!

[202_Cyclist]

Santa Ana selects preferred streetcar route

By Douglas John Bowen
Railway Age
Aug. 7, 2014


Image courtesy of Railway Age.

"By a 4-to-0 vote, the Santa Ana, Calif., City Council has chosen a proposed 4.1-mile streetcar route along the city's Fourth Street as a preferred option over a route along Fifth Street, citing existing foot traffic as a factor.

The council vote, taken Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2014, came despite near-immediate pushback from area residents and local businesses concerned about streetcar construction and loss of parking.

City officials see the Santa Ana line as an initial segment of a larger system linking with a similar streetcar proposed for nearby Anaheim, and eventually perhaps reaching beyond Orange County into neighboring Los Angeles County..."

http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/...tml?channel=61

[202_Cyclist]

ARTIC transit station on track to open by year's end
A 67,000-square-foot terminal will provide passengers with access to trains, buses and taxis.

BY ART MARROQUIN
Aug. 7, 2014
Orange County Register


The Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC), a bus and train depot near Angel Stadium is expected to be open at the end of the year. Anaheim city officials on Thursday took reporters on a tour of the facility. (Image courtesy of the Orange Co. Register)

A canopy of white, plastic pillows encase a new transportation hub under construction near Angel Stadium.

Inside, crews continue to install gleaming glass windows and other shiny fixtures at the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center, a 67,000-square-foot terminal that will provide passengers with access to trains, buses and taxis by December.

“It’s always been my objective to introduce transit to a whole new group of people, and not to just build something like this for people who are already using transit,” Natalie Meeks, head of Anaheim’s Public Works Department, said Thursday afternoon as she led reporters on a tour of the future transit station..."

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/a...n-transit.html

[dragonsky]

Originally Posted by LAT

Diocese of Orange unveils planned alterations for former Crystal Cathedral

"We're beginning almost with a complete clean palette inside the cathedral," Holguin said.

Shade structures in the shape of quatrefoils (similar to four-petaled flowers) will line the interior glass and tall walls will surround much of the worship area, creating an environment that is more inward oriented than the current cathedral, which was designed so that the outdoors felt near and light could pour into the sanctuary.

At the center of the space, a platform will hold the altar, a lectern and the bishop's seat — known as the cathedra. One thing that could not be moved is the massive Hazel Wright pipe organ, one of the largest such instruments in the world. Instead, it will be refurbished and refinished in a more muted color so that it blends into the background rather than taking center stage, Neal said.

In the redesign, the cathedral will be set apart from the rest of the campus by a large plaza ringed by hundreds of crape myrtles. The building, originally designed by Philip Johnson, is expected to reopen in 2017.

When worshipers and visitors come to the cathedral, said Bishop Kevin W. Vann, "I hope they'll feel drawn to God. I hope they'll feel a sense of continuity, that this is the Crystal Cathedral but now it's a Catholic cathedral."

http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-0...925-story.html

[dragonsky]

Originally Posted by LAT

FBI ranks Irvine as safest big city in U.S. for 10th year in a row

The lowest violent-crime rate in city history last year netted Irvine its 10th straight title as the safest big city in the nation, officials announced this week.

In 2013, Irvine experienced the fewest violent crimes per capita for any city with more than 100,000 residents, according to federal data released Monday.

The city of 235,830 reported 113 violent crimes last year, according to the FBI, which compiles data submitted by law enforcement agencies across the country.

Irvine's total breaks down to two homicides, 12 rapes, 38 robberies and 61 aggravated assaults, the Daily Pilot reported. Although 110 violent crimes were reported in the city in 2012, a spike in population of about 18,000 residents means Irvine's per-capita rate dropped, according to the FBI.

The city also experienced a decline last year in property crime. The city reported 3,304 burglaries, thefts, vehicle thefts and arsons in 2012 compared with a total of 3,285 in 2013.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/l...111-story.html

[UserName01010]

From my blog: http://orangecountydensedevelopment.blogspot.com/

Thanks!

[UserName01010]

Check out the new blog post for more ARTIC photos taken on the soft launch opening (12/6/2014) -- Source: http://orangecountydensedevelopment....portation.html

[friedpez]

Hi all, I snapped a few photos of the new office tower being built by the Irvine Company that is going up at 8055 Irvine Center Drive near the Irvine Spectrum. Sources say it'll be about 21 floors and 323 feet tall, making it one of Orange County's tallest towers (if not the tallest). These photos are about five days old.

[202_Cyclist]

friedpez: Thank you for posting these photos--keep the photos of Orange Co. coming!

Do many people commute from the Irvine Metrolink station to the jobs at the Irvine Spectrum? It looks like it is only 1.5 miles away, so that would be a convenient way to avoid traffic on I-5 or the 405.

[UserName01010]

First off Happy New Year to all!

I wanted to provide you all with a new update I posted on my blog regarding the under construction 200 Spectrum Center. New pics taken 1/1/2015. Link below. Enjoy!



Source: My blog: http://orangecountydensedevelopment....-upcoming.html

[friedpez]

Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist

friedpez: Thank you for posting these photos--keep the photos of Orange Co. coming!

Do many people commute from the Irvine Metrolink station to the jobs at the Irvine Spectrum? It looks like it is only 1.5 miles away, so that would be a convenient way to avoid traffic on I-5 or the 405.

I am not sure about the number of people who use the Irvine Metrolink station and who work in the Spectrum, but I do know that the Irvine station is among the busiest in the Amtrak California system (4th busiest according to Wikipedia). Multiple bus lines serve the station and the City of Irvine runs an iShuttle service from the stop to several stops in the Spectrum area.

[UserName01010]

Hi All,

Check out my blog for updated photos of the under construction Great Wolf Resort Project in Garden Grove. Link: http://orangecountydensedevelopment....lf-resort.html

[UserName01010]

Hi All,

I wrote a new post in my blog regarding the increase in new hotel developments within the Anaheim Resort district.

Link to the post: http://orangecountydensedevelopment....rt-hotels.html

[dragonsky]

Originally Posted by ABC

New ‘Frozen Fun’ Opens at Disneyland Resort January 7

This winter, Disneyland Resort celebrates the opening of spectacular new “Frozen Fun” at Disney California Adventure park, featuring magical adventures with characters from Disney’s blockbuster hit, “Frozen.”

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blo...ort-january-7/

[UserName01010]

From: LA Times
By: Jeff Collins
Jan 16, 2015

...

"Travel the streets of Orange County circa 2040, and you might not see flying cars, hover boards or people wearing jet packs.

But it’s likely you will see mid-rise apartment and condo buildings lining thoroughfares. You may see people biking or walking – that’s right, walking – to work, shops, restaurants, parks and transit centers from homes in “mixed-use” districts.

Many residents might be living in “micro-units” as small as 250 square feet. Suburban tract homes, meanwhile, will become increasingly rare."

...

Original Link: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/h...ge-county.html

Looking at all the infill developments currently being built or planned in OC, I can see this happening in the not too distant future. Since OC, especially North OC is built out, it makes sense that there are denser mixed-use developments occurring.