AROUND THE COUNTY

Orange County Business Journal, Aug 13-Aug 19, 2007 by O'Hare, Billy, Hughes, Paul

Projects, developments and other activity in cities across OC

Around The County

ANAHElM

Demolition of a 200,000-square-foot industrial building is under way in the second part of a Brookfield Homes Corp. housing project. Models are going up in the first phase of the project.

Harmony at Colony Park and Legacy at Colony Park call for 339 townhomes, expected to sell from the high $300,000s to mid $600,000s. The homes are one to three stories with up to four bedrooms. The project is Del Mar-based Brookfield's latest infill project in Anaheim. It has three more planned for 2008. Colony Park is part of the city's redevelopment of the historic area where the German winemaking founders of Anaheim settled in 1857.

GARDEN GROVE

Developer Empire Homes is ready to start construction of a housing project, Arezzo. The gated community is set to have 144 townhomes ranging from 1,332 to 1,579 square feet. The homes will have two or three bedrooms and two-car garages. The developer hopes to break ground later this year or early next year. The homes are set to replace some 100 apartments set for demolition. Homes are expected to start in the high $400,000s, but the slowing housing market could change that, according to the developer, No word yet on a completion date.

TUSTIN

Construction is under way at Coventry Court, a senior condominium project at the former Marine base. Lennar Corp. is developing the project. The 240-condo complex will have 10 three-story buildings with 24 homes in each building. The condos are set to be one and two bedrooms ranging from 692 to 1,838 square feet. Plans call for a recreation center with a pool, spa and clubhouse. About half of the apartments are set to be affordable based on income. Lennar hasn't set prices yet for the homes. Coventry Court is set to open in early 2008.

FULLERTON

Virginia's Sunrise Senior Living Inc. is well under way on Sunrise of Fullerton, a 48,000-square-foot senior housing project. The complex is set to have 68 rooms for seniors who need help with daily activities. The project, on Euclid Street, is set to open this November.

FOUNTAIN VALLEY

The Orange County Water District broke ground last week at its Advanced Water Quality Assurance Laboratory on Ward Street, off Ellis Avenue. The 34,000-square-foot water treatment facility and office building is expected to cost about $22 million. The building will use recycled construction materials and feature high-efficiency climate control for a smaller impact on the environment, according to contractor FTR International. Plans call for 15 labs to test the county's groundwater supply, which accounts for about 70% of North and Central County's water. The facility, which will house about 30 chemists and 10 quality monitors, will replace a 32-year-old building that didn't meet safety requirements and was too small. Construction is expected to wrap up in early 2009.