Costa Mesa, CA

COSTA MESA, CALIF. — CBRE has brokered the sale of a mixed-use property located at 2027-29 Harbor Blvd. in Costa Mesa. A private investor acquired the asset from a privately held partnership for $3.2 million, or $425 per square foot. Both parties are based in Orange County.

The mixed-use property features 12 residential apartments and street-front retail space spread across four buildings, totaling 7,530 square feet. The three multifamily buildings offer eight studio units, two one-bedroom units and two two-bedroom units. The property also features surface parking, a community laundry room and storage lockers. Additionally, there is a 1,942-square-foot street-front commercial building, occupied by an auto trim business.

Dan Blackwell and Mike O’Neill of CBRE represented the seller and buyer in the transaction.

KAILUA-KONA, HAWAII — SRS Real Estate Partners has arranged the sale of the leasehold interest of a two-story, multi-tenant retail and office building in Kailua-Kona. A private partnership sold the asset to a Hawaii-based private investor for $7.5 million.

Built in 1997 on 1.5 acres, the 30,503-square-foot is located at 75-1000 Henry St. At the time of sale, the property was 98 percent occupied by Planet Fitness, Anderson Wealth Planning, Fidelity National Title and ProService Hawaii.

Nicholas Paulic, A.J. Cordero, Matthew Mousavi and Patrick Luther of SRS represented the seller in the deal.

BEAVERTON, ORE. — STAG Industrial has purchased Beaverton Industrial Center, a multi-tenant industrial/distribution project in Beaverton. BKM Capital Partners sold the asset for $20.6 million.

Situated on 6.4 acres, the 121,426-square-foot property consists of two freestanding distribution buildings located at 5805 and 5807 SW 107th Ave. Originally constructed in the 1960s, the asset was extensively upgraded in 2021. At the time of sale, Beaverton Industrial Center was fully leased.

Bryce Aberg, Jeff Chiate, Jeff Cole, Rick Ellison, Mike Adey, Zach Harman and Brad Brandenburg of Cushman & Wakefield’s National Industrial Investment Advisory Group in Southern California represented the seller. Greg Nesting, Aaron Watt and Keegan Clay of Cushman & Wakefield provided local market advisory.

FULLERTON, CALIF. — Capital One has provided $43 million in Fannie Mae loans for the refinancing of two multifamily communities owned by SC Development. The portfolio includes the 271-unit The Streams and the 222-unit La Villita-La Costa properties in Fullerton.

Greg Reed, Kristen Croxton and Tina Quirin of Capital One originated the transactions, which closed in June. The separate 10-year, fixed-rate loans feature interest-only payments for the entire term.

The Streams features one- and two-bedroom apartments with all-electric kitchens, modern appliances, fireplaces and additional storage. La Villita-La Costa offers one- and two-bedroom units with large closets, patiso or balconies and washer/dryer hookups. Both communities feature a swimming pool, spa and fitness center.

SC Development has maintained both properties since they were constructed in the mid-1970s.

NEW YORK CITY — Locally based brokerage firm Ariel Property Advisors has negotiated the $2.9 million sale of a six-unit apartment building located at 65 Woodhull St. in Brooklyn. The building includes two retail units. Sean Kelly, Nicole Daniggelis and Stephen Vorvolakos of Ariel Property Advisors brokered the deal. The buyer and seller were not disclosed.

NEW YORK CITY —BEB Lending, the finance platform of BEB Capital, has provided a $9 million acquisition loan for a seven-unit apartment building located at 53-55 Stone St. in Manhattan’s Financial District. The five-story building was originally constructed in 1900 and houses two restaurant spaces. Sean Silverbrook led the transaction for BEB Lending. The borrower was not disclosed.

What's a 40-acre lima bean farm doing alongside the busy I-405 freeway in the center of Costa Mesa in Orange County, California? And why are the lima beans farmed with equipment dating back to the early 1900s? These questions have bothered me during many visits to the old southern California dairy area.

Farming history

Orange County has a history of grazing cattle, apples, oranges and dairy cows up until the mid-part of the 20th century. Today it is the home of some of the nation's most visited tourist attractions: Disneyland, the Los Angeles Angels baseball team, Knottsberry Farm, the Anaheim Ducks hockey team, John Wayne airport, and the former El Toro Marine air base. And of course, South Coast Plaza, one of the nation's first shopping malls that is considered the most upscale and profitable mall anywhere and draws worldwide visitors.

That lonely 40 acres of lima beans are surrounded by two major multi-lane highways, a huge Ikea home furnishing store and several large cities including Orange, Santa Ana, Irvine and Costa Mesa.

The beginning

The story begins in the late 1800s when C.J. Segerstrom emigrated from Sweden to Orange County to farm. Over the years he and his large family went from milking cows to raising lima beans. They farmed at first with horses and later with big farm equipment ‒ mostly the yellow, tracked Caterpillars.

At one time the Segerstroms were growing 4,000 acres of the big white lima beans. This was far from the biggest lima bean farm fields in the area, as James Irvine had the biggest bean field in America ‒ 37 square miles in an area centered on what is now the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station.

In 1922, Orange County produced more than a million bags of lima beans. In 1950, the Santa Ana Freeway was built in the area, and the family began developing their farmland, first as housing and business developments, then in the early 1960s with a shopping mall in Costa Mesa ‒ a former rural town that was expanding in every direction.

300 stores

Today, South Coast Plaza has nearly 300 stores occupying some 2.2 million square feet that draws customers from the 3 million population of Orange County and far beyond. The shopping plaza is now surrounded by hotels, apartments, offices and an industrial park.

It's difficult to imagine this area as a former farm ‒ unless you get a chance to visit that 40-acre plot in Costa Mesa that is still referred to as the Segerstrom Ranch by family members.

Oscar Mendez has managed the ranch for over 30 years and is sort of the expert on its history. He and two assistants do all the farming on the 40 acres, which are all that remain of the Segerstrom lima bean farm. They also maintain the farm equipment stored in a handful of storage buildings and an old horse barn.

Parts, parts, parts

"The original horse barn burned, and this barn was built in 1908," Mendez says. "When the horses went, it became a storage building."

The horse stalls are still there but seem to be filled with yellow parts ‒ Caterpillar parts. Why so many parts for Caterpillar tractors? Because that's what was used to farm the lima bean acres, Mendez says.

There must be a dozen or so operating 'Cats', all the track type. In back of the well-equipped ranch shop, a couple of Cats sit in partial disassembled condition ‒ they are "parts" tractors. Another shed holds a dozen Farmall tractors, all of 1930-1940 vintage and all in running order.

Mendez says that Harold Segerstrom was responsible for saving the old farm equipment until his death in 1994, and his son Ted continued the collection.

"He's my boss," Mendez says.

Plant to harvest

The lima beans are planted in late April, sprayed and cultivated over the summer and harvested in early to mid-September, Mendez explains.

"There are no lima bean processing plants in this area anymore," Mendez says. "We haul them up the coast, north of L.A. to Santa Barbara."

Why this vast collection of old farm equipment on 40 acres in a metropolitan city teeming with fast traffic and crowded buildings? Mendez isn't exactly sure, but hopes it remains as is. He enjoys the old equipment and watching the lima beans grow.

It's not a museum, and they seldom have visitors. The antique farm machinery makes only one appearance a year, at the Orange County fair in July.

"I load some of the old tractors on a flat bed, and we go to the fair," Mendez says. "No farm shows."

Company headquarters

The headquarters of C.J. Segerstrom & Sons, long known for its business holdings and gifts to Costa Mesa (a performing arts center, high school and dozens of civic donations), remains in a corner of the ranch. No sign identifies the nondescript bulding, just a farm mailbox in the parking lot between the office and the original family ranch house that is in original condition but has been closed since 1964.

Future

What are you going to do with this 40-acre ranch that is so full of history, a company executive was asked. "We don't know," she says. "It's not a museum ‒ we just haven't decided, and we're in no hurry."

Hopefully the company will find a way to keep it as a historical farm site that is actually still living. Where else would you find a lima bean ranch of the 1930s still being farmed, a red 1908 barn and a Caterpillar tractor collection that is in storage but also in use and maintained?

It's possible (even probable) that very few of the millions of folks who live within 20 miles of the site know what it is or how it was responsible for so much of what their lives are about. It is indeed one of the wonders of the world of California farming history!

Taco María, one of Orange County’s only Michelin-star restaurants, announced that it will be closing this Saturday after 10 years at its Costa Mesa location. Carlos Salgado told the Los Angeles Times that the closure happened quickly, as he had planned to extend the original 10-year lease at Costa Mesa’s bustling OC Mix at SoCo Collection space but declined. Salgado said he plans to relocate Taco María to a larger space that can accommodate more guests but hasn’t landed one yet.

When it first opened in 2013, Taco María was blazing a trail for modern Mexican cuisine in Southern California. Salgado had previously worked at Coi and Commis in Northern California before opening Taco María with the vision of promoting heirloom corn varieties, seasonal cooking, and traditional Mexican preparations served through a modern lens. He received immense acclaim, including a 2018 Los Angeles Times Restaurant of the Year designation, a Michelin star, and a long stint on the Eater Essential 38 restaurants in Orange County. The restaurant is known for its innovative Alta California cuisine, representing a new melding of traditional Mexican and Californian techniques served at a reasonable price point. When it opened, the tasting was close to $50 a person; even after a decade, the cost for the prix fixe is $100, a fairly attainable amount for a fine dining place of this caliber.

With only 28 seats, Salgado and the Taco María team found it difficult to operate, especially after an extended pandemic closure. The Times reported that Salgado had the opportunity to extend the lease by a year or two, but with the required maintenance and cost, he decided not to extend. Salgado is hoping for something closer to 50 seats, a separate bar area, more storage and prep areas, and plentiful parking that would help set Taco María up for long-term financial success. Salgado told the Times that these are aspects that a full “grown-up” restaurant would have.

With such sudden closure news, all of the remaining reservations are sold out, says Salgado. But the chef promises Taco María will rise again, just somewhere else.

Map data ©2023 Google

Terms of Use

Foursquare

Taco Maria

3313 Hyland Avenue, , CA 92626 (714) 538-8444 Visit Website

US authorities have arrested a third man for his alleged involvement in the firebombing of a Planned Parenthood clinic in southern California last year.

Group using ‘shield laws’ to provide abortion care in states that ban it

Read more

Xavier Batten, 21, was arrested on federal charges on Friday in Florida, the US attorney’s office in Los Angeles said. Officials allege that Batten, along with two other men, including a US marine, conspired to attack a women’s health clinic because it had provided reproductive health services.

The other suspected perpetrators in the attack – Tibet Ergul, 21, of Irvine, and Chance Brannon, 23, of San Juan Capistrano, a marine stationed at Camp Pendleton – are expected to be arraigned in federal court in Santa Ana on Monday, prosecutors said in a statement.

Authorities have charged all three men with conspiracy and malicious destruction of property by fire and explosion, the statement said. Ergul and Brannon also face additional charges.

“The violent and reckless attack on a Planned Parenthood clinic alleged in the indictment is intolerable,” said US attorney Martin Estrada. “This indictment shows that federal law enforcement will work diligently to uncover and hold accountable those who plan and carry out violent extremist acts against others.”

Brannon will plead not guilty, said Kate Corrigan, his attorney. Sheila Mojtehedi, Ergul’s attorney, declined to comment.

The charges are tied to an attack at the Costa Mesa Planned Parenthood clinic, authorities said. At around 1am on 13 March 2022, a Molotov cocktail was thrown at the front of the building and fire spread up a wall and across a ceiling.

Security video recorded two people in hooded sweatshirts and face masks carrying out the attack. No one was hurt but the clinic had to cancel about 30 appointments, authorities said.

“Those who deliberately put lives at risk and damage property by launching improvised explosive devices into public facilities will be sought and will be held accountable, as this case makes clear,” said Donald Alway, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office.

The men face up to 20 years in federal prison for the charges of conspiracy and malicious destruction, as well as up to a year in federal prison for the charge of intentional damage to a reproductive health facility. The count of possession of an unregistered destructive device carries a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison, authorities said in a statement.

Abortion providers have faced increasing attacks in recent years. A report from the National Abortion Federation found that assaults against abortion clinic patients and staff increased by 128% in 2021.

COSTA MESA, Calif. (KABC) -- The FBI is offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in a series of attacks against reproductive health service facilities across the country, including one attack in Southern California.

The FBI says two suspects were captured on surveillance video throwing a Molotov cocktail at the front door of a Planned Parenthood building in Costa Mesa on March 13, 2022.

"In this instance it's a violation of federal law to have an explosive device, so of course that carries a significant prison sentence if convicted," said Donald Alway, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles field office.

He said no one was hurt and only minor damage was reported.

"These two subjects may not have known or cared if a property was occupied or not," Alway said.

In a statement, Planned Parenthood said:

"Incidents of this nature have been on the rise at Planned Parenthood health centers across the country and this is unacceptable. The safety of our staff, patients, and supporters is our highest priority, and we are working in collaboration with the FBI and local law enforcement to prosecute this attack to the fullest extent of the law. Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties will continue to provide expert, compassionate care for the community as we have done for over 50 years."

The FBI is investigating at least 10 different attacks or threats on facilities between March and June of last year.

- Costa Mesa, California (March 13, 2022)

- Keizer, Oregon (May 8, 2022)

- Madison Wisconsin (May, 8 2022)

- Amherst, New York (June 7, 2022)

- Gresham, Oregon (June 10, 2022)

- Longmont, Colorado (June 25, 2022)

- Lincolnton, North Carolina (June 25, 2022)

- Everett, Washington (June 27, 2022)

- Nashville, Tennessee (June 30, 2022)

- Portland, Oregon (July 2022)

Half of the incidents took place immediately after the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

"We take that into consideration, but we don't focus on that as the sole purpose and motivation," Alway said.

The FBI has not ruled out the possibility that these attacks are related.

The bureau is offering up to $25,000 for any information that can lead to arrests and convictions. Investigators hope this incentive will generate some new leads.

The FBI said the agency will also work with local and state law enforcement agencies to catch the suspects.