Latest news with #OrangeCounty-based
Los Angeles Times
29-04-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
51,312-Square-Foot Value-Add Shopping Center in South Orange County Sells for $11.63 Million
Hanley Investment Group Real Estate Advisors, a real estate brokerage and advisory firm specializing in retail property sales, and Walseth Investment Company, specializing in single-tenant, multi-tenant, sale-lease-back, NNN investments and land properties nationwide, have announced the completion of the sale of a 51,312-square-foot former Orchard Supply Hardware-anchored shopping center in Mission Viejo. The property, located at 24011-24031 Marguerite Parkway, sold for $11.63 million. Hanley Investment Group's executive vice presidents Kevin Fryman and Bill Asher, along with president Ed Hanley, represented the seller, a private investment company based in the Denver metro area. Walseth Investment Company's president Michael Walseth represented the buyer, an Orange County-based regional grocery store operator. 'We procured multiple competitive offers from private investors, mid-market buyers and owner/users, ultimately securing an all-cash private buyer,' said Fryman. 'This transaction involved navigating and resolving several complex challenges.' Walseth added, 'As the user of the space, our buyer was in a unique position to acquire the property and allow the seller the ability to monetize the vacant Lowe's space. A 'win-win' for both parties, maximizing proceeds to the seller, yet allowing the buyer a favorable basis well under replacement cost.' Additionally, Walseth and Fryman successfully negotiated a structured closing to satisfy the buyer's need for the approval of its planned use and enabled the seller to optimize their buyout agreement with Lowe's (Orchard Supply Hardware), which had approximately 12 years remaining on its lease. The shopping center benefits from its location at a high-traffic, signalized intersection of Marguerite Parkway and Trabuco Road, which sees an average of 34,000 vehicles per day. Marguerite Parkway serves as a major arterial route connecting to and from the I-5 freeway and various parts of Mission Viejo. Situated on a 3.42-acre parcel, the shopping center was built in 1973 and underwent a façade remodel in 2016. The 37,118-square-foot vacant Orchard Supply Hardware store comprises over 72% of the center's total square footage. Current tenants include A Cut Above, Little Caesars and Leslie's Pool Supplies, all of whom have occupied the center for at least 10 years. Notably, Little Caesars and Leslie's Pool Supplies have been tenants for 31 and 34 years, respectively, underscoring the center's established presence. The demographics within a five-mile radius of the shopping center are strong, featuring over 340,000 people with an average household income of $154,000. As one of the largest master-planned communities ever undertaken in a single project, Mission Viejo has a population of 93,932 within the broader Orange County population of 3.24 million. Fryman noted the strength of the South Orange County retail investment market, stating, 'Despite broader market headwinds, South Orange County continues to be a highly sought-after retail investment destination due to its affluent demographics, strong household incomes and limited supply of well-located properties. Furthermore, the ongoing development of new housing communities in the surrounding areas is expected to further fuel demand for retail goods and services, making this a particularly attractive market for both owners/users and investors with a long-term vision. This sale underscores the resilience and inherent value of strategically positioned retail assets in this dynamic region.' Information was sourced from Hanley Investment Group Real Estate Advisors. To learn more, contact kfryman@
Los Angeles Times
20-04-2025
- Automotive
- Los Angeles Times
Rivian Makes Its Commercial Van Available to Fleets of All Sizes
For U.S. customers, those big EV vans are no longer just for Amazon Irvine-based Rivian Automotive recently announced that it is opening sales for the Rivian Commercial Van to fleets of all sizes in the U.S. for the first time. The Rivian Commercial Van is the platform on which Amazon's custom electric delivery van (EDV) is based and is designed from the ground up, prioritizing safety, driver comfort, total cost of ownership and sustainability. Safety features include automatic emergency braking, collision warnings and 360-degree visibility – meaning the Rivian Commercial Van is engineered to be among the safest vehicles on the road today. Since the conclusion of Rivian and Amazon's exclusivity period, Rivian has been trialing its commercial van with several large fleets in the U.S. and preparing its fleet management process for the mass market. These pilots have paved the way to enable Rivian to open sales further. The Rivian Commercial Van comes in two sizes, the 500 and the 700, providing a payload around 2,600 lbs. and a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of up to 9,500 lbs. Rivian's in-house software stack controls nearly every interaction from unlocking the vehicle and opening the door to charging and acceleration. These tools help streamline the ownership experience and minimize costs while increasing safety and productivity. 'Through existing partnerships, our commercial vans have already proved incredibly successful,' said Tom Solomon, senior director of business development for Rivian. 'Amazon currently has more than 20,000 in its fleet and delivered over a billion packages from its Electric Delivery Vans in 2024 alone. Over the last year, we have been focusing our efforts on testing with some larger fleets, and we're really pleased with how those trials have gone. As a result, we're excited to now be able to open sales to fleets of all sizes in the U.S., whether they want one van or thousands. Our vehicles are designed to not only be among the safest on the road but will also help fleet owners to reduce the cost of fleet ownership and their carbon footprint.' Rivian vehicles are built in the United States and are sold directly to consumer and commercial customers. The Orange County-based company provides a full suite of services that addresses the entire lifecycle of the vehicle and stays true to its mission to keep the world adventurous forever. Whether taking families on new adventures or electrifying fleets at scale, Rivian vehicles all share a common goal - preserving the natural world for generations to come.
Los Angeles Times
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Pop (art) goes punk at Fullerton Museum Center
A wall covered in black and white fliers, the kind easily photocopied, lined the walls of the entrance to the Fullerton Museum Center's latest exhibit, 'Punk OC: From the Streets of Suburbia.' Duplicated and distributed outside other punk shows, the paper fliers were a precursor to social media invites and texting. Co-curated by Fullerton Museum Center curator Georgette Collard and music historian Jim Washburn, 'Punk OC' is on view through Aug. 10. The exhibit focuses on Fullerton's influential punk scene, the evolution of punk in Orange County and how the local scene influenced national and global punk culture. In conjunction with the opening, the museum hosted a punk show with a live performance from T.S.O.L (True Sounds of Liberty, for the uninitiated) and D.I., two Orange County-based punk bands from Huntington Beach and Fullerton, respectively. Paper fliers weren't necessary to get the word out about this sold out show, however. 'We had about 1,300 people there,' said Elvia Susana Rubalcava, the museum's director. Additionally, the evening included a DJ set from Joe Escalante of the Vandals with actor and comedian Chris Estrada, best known for his hit comedy show on Hulu, 'This Fool,' serving as emcee for the evening. 'I think it is really cool what the Fullerton Museum put together here, because there is a rich history of punk in Orange County and in Fullerton specifically, with bands like Social Distortion, Agent Orange and the Adolescents,' Estrada said. A thriving punk scene might seem unusual for a conservative region like Orange County but Estrada said it isn't as unusual as one might think. 'I think people have this perception of suburbia, but not everybody feels suburban,' said Estrada. 'Rockin' the Suburbs' Orange County is often viewed as the land of safe cities and pristine beaches. The county also consistently voted red until the mid-2000's but a statement from Washburn explains the idealistic suburbs were a prime environment for teen restlessness to fester and young punk bands to form. 'Orange County, and Fullerton in particular, has produced far more than its share of bands that made a difference, many with a sound that's as rooted in O.C. as surf music was. Most of the 1970's punk scene originated in metropolises suffering from urban decay, poverty, and other issues that justified the anger and nihilism of the music it spawned,' Washburn said. 'But what about suburban Orange County, with its manicured lawns, blue skies and beaches? One didn't have to dig too deep beneath the turf to find that O.C., too, had an underside of outcasts and disaffected youth, for whom this new home-brewed music meant the world.' Punk is generally regarded as a movement that emerged in the 1970's and revolved around fast and loud music coupled with anti-establishment attitudes and a DIY aesthetic. Collard, who has long been interested in documenting punk through the lens of museum studies, points out that like other counter culture movements, punk has historically popped up during times of political and civil unrest. 'I think it is indicative of areas where people feel oppressed or have a certain expectation that they need to be viewed a certain way, a lot of these people grew up with parents that were conservative. I think all of that played a role in this frustration and they needed to have other ways of expressing themselves,' said Collard. 'What better way to do that, than with music?' 'That's so punk rock' The exhibit begins with a reference to this very paper. 'In 1980, Orange County's Daily Pilot newspaper ran a front page headline reading: 'Punk: Fad or Peril?'' On black and red walls, an array of ephemera from Orange County's punk scene is on display from bands like the Offspring, Social Distortion, Manic Hispanic, Circle Jerks, the Middle Class and the Adolescents. Guitars and drum kits used by the bands are set up and photos, news clippings and sets lists also line the walls. Featured photographers include Linda Aronow, Alison Braun, Edward Colver, Dina Douglass and Marla Watson. 'T.S.O.L is a huge part of my teenage years, helping with my teenage angst, so to be here to help put this installation together is a dream come true for me,' said Seija Rohkea, a member of Fullerton Museum Center's board. Rohkea is also a gallery tech in the art department at Fullerton College and said many students volunteered to help put the exhibition together. She plans to keep the conversation going with her students by planning a field trip with the class to the museum. A large map on one wall charts the hometowns of O.C. punk bands and tracks the camaraderie in the closely knit music community. Mike Ness, leader singer of Social Distortion, had an apartment on East Wilshire Avenue that became known as the 'Black Hole,' a place were musicians and other misfits would come to hang out. Members of the Adolescents were frequent visitors and the apartment inspired their song 'Kids of the Black Hole.' 'There are people who are cynical about punk being in a museum, but I think punk is a subculture,' said Estrada. 'It has its own symbols, its own language, its own rituals like slam dancing, and its own art. I think that stuff should be archived and celebrated.' The show is dedicated to the punk rock musicians no longer with us, with a special installation honoring them hanging over the exhibit. 'All the 3-foot banners are black and white photos of all the musicians who have passed away, and now they are looking down on all the people who attended and all they have accomplished,' said Rubalcava. 'Punks not dead' The size of the crowd that gathered for the opening is testimony enough that punk is indeed still alive. As T.S.O.L. played, a group of toddlers milled around in circle, creating a mini mosh pit, egged on by a nearby adult. For every aging punker, it seems there is a young person just discovering the music and the movement for the first time. Besides the live show, the museum is hosting a few more events during the exhibit's run. On May 20, a book release party for 'Tearing Down the Orange Curtain: How Punk Rock Brought Orange County to the World' by Daniel Kohn and Nate Jackson will take place, moderated by Washburn and Collard. On July 12, a book signing with Roger Miret from Agnostic Front is planned and on July 20, Jack Grisham will read from his book, 'An American Demon: A Memoir.' The exhibit will close on Aug.10 with Leo Fender Day. Collard said demonstrating punk rock is still alive and well was among the curators' most important objectives and she was encouraged by the turn out. 'I feel like a lot of times when we think about punk rock, we think about the golden days of when it started in the late 1970's and 1980's, but I want to make sure people know there are still backyard gigs, there are still local shows,' Collard said. 'It might evolve and the sound might change, but I feel like punk rock is going to live on forever.'
Los Angeles Times
27-03-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Hawke Media Acquires Blue Light Media
Acquisition strengthens Hawke's Southern California footprint and deepens its stake in social-driven brand building, creative storytelling and influencer marketing Hawke Media, a leading U.S. performance marketing agency, has announced the acquisition of Blue Light Media, an Orange County-based full-service creative and social marketing agency. 'At Hawke, we believe every brand today must think and operate like a media company to stay competitive,' said Erik Huberman, CEO and founder, Hawke Media. 'At the center of that is consistent, quality content – CQC – driving connection, community and performance. Blue Light Media has built its reputation on delivering that level of creative excellence, and we're thrilled to integrate their expertise as we double down on social-first marketing at scale.' Founded in 2017, Blue Light specializes in the natural products, consumer packaged goods and beauty sectors, executing high-performing content and social campaigns that drive measurable results. The agency has partnered with brands including Bulletproof Coffee, NutriBullet, Rock the Bells, Power Crunch and Epicuren. With the acquisition, Blue Light clients gain access to Hawke Media's full suite of marketing services, combining creative storytelling with data-driven strategies designed to maximize reach, engagement and business impact. 'Our mission has always been to build an agency where creativity and strategy work hand in hand to help brands thrive,' said Mikhail Alfon, founder, Blue Light Media. 'An acquisition with Hawke allows us to take that mission to new heights – offering our team greater opportunities, expanding our capabilities and giving our clients access to an incredible collective of marketing resources that will accelerate their growth.' Blue Light Media's leadership and staff will remain in place, ensuring continuity for clients while creating new growth opportunities within Hawke Media's expanding network. Hawke Media continues to grow through strategic acquisitions, strengthening its position as a full-service marketing leader. Its client portfolio includes global brands such as Crocs, Red Bull, K-Swiss, Casamigos and Proactiv. 'This acquisition reinforces our commitment to delivering best-in-class creative and consistent quality content that drives measurable brand impact,' Huberman said. 'It is a strategic step forward in enabling brands to operate as fully integrated media engines in today's competitive landscape.' Information was sourced from Hawke Media. For more details, contact kiara@
CNN
25-03-2025
- Politics
- CNN
After living in the US for 35 years and raising 3 citizens, these parents got deported to Colombia. Their kids want them back
Gladys and Nelson Gonzalez have called the United States home since 1989. Their three daughters, now grown, were all born and raised in California. The couple led Bible studies at their Southern California church and volunteered at food pantries during the Covid-19 pandemic. 'For nearly four decades, they have built a life here — raising three daughters, giving back to their community, and recently welcoming their first grandchild,' their daughter Stephanie Gonzalez wrote on a GoFundMe page for the family. 'Now, they are being treated as criminals.' Last month, the parents checked in at an immigration court in Santa Ana, just 'like they have been doing since 2000,' Stephanie wrote in an email to CNN. But this check-in ended with a much different outcome. The couple was arrested and handcuffed during their February 21 appointment and put in federal custody, where they spent three weeks before being deported to Colombia. 'They did expect that they would need to depart and were planning to do so, but not in the way that it happened,' said Monica Crooms, an Orange County-based immigration attorney who started working with the couple in 2018. 'We didn't expect that they would be apprehended and held in custody. And again, it's not really unique to them anymore. It's happening across the country,' Crooms told CNN, pointing to recent immigration policy changes in the US two months into the current administration. The Gonzalezes spent many years searching for a viable path to citizenship, paid their taxes and never had any trouble with the law, according to Crooms and their daughters. Ideally, the couple would have been given time to get their affairs in order and say goodbye to their daughters and grandchild, according to Crooms. But that didn't happen. 'We had to go and pick up their car from the parking lot and didn't get to say goodbye,' Stephanie said. Gladys and Nelson came to the United States without authorization in 1989, according to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement statement dated March 14. They had no visas when they arrived, Crooms said, but were granted permission to apply for asylum. The couple was fleeing crime in their native Colombia, according to Crooms and their daughter Stephanie. In 2000, the immigration court found no legal reason that would allow Gladys and Nelson to stay in the United States and they were issued a voluntary departure order, which gives people a certain amount of time to leave the country at their own expense to avoid a deportation order, according to ICE. 'They were looking for a way to legalize their status in in the way that was available to them at the time in the '90s,' Crooms said. 'Unfortunately, they fell victim to predatory immigration practices that were pretty flagrant.' The Gonzalezes did not plan to leave the United States after the order was issued, according to Crooms, who said the couple's attorney at the time misled them that the order could be appealed and possibly lead to eventual legalization. 'After seeing other attorneys, they quickly learned that they were in a very precarious situation with respect to their immigration status,' Crooms added. The couple has spent thousands of dollars on legal counsel over the years, and some of those they hired turned out not to be immigration attorneys at all, Crooms said. Gladys, 55, and Nelson, 59, 'exhausted all legal options to remain in the U.S. between March 2000 and August 2021, including reviews by the Board of Immigration Appeals in 2001 and 2018, Citizenship and Immigration Services in 2010, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in 2021,' ICE said in a statement. For two decades, the couple remained under an order of supervision, Crooms added. Through the Department of Homeland Security, the program allows those with removal orders to remain in the United States and check in at least once a year while they prepare to leave the country. The couple's deportation officer 'had not pushed for them to depart until 2018,' leveling with them that it was time to leave the country if their status couldn't be legalized, Crooms said. When the Gonzalezes fled Colombia's capital city, they feared for their lives. 'At the time my parents left Bogota, the city and country was known as the murder capital of the world,' Stephanie wrote. 'They fled the rampant drug violence that they were forced to live in.' After Nelson filed for asylum, the couple became 'victims of egregious immigration fraud by their initial attorney,' their daughter told CNN. 'Their initial 'attorney' wasn't even an attorney, and took their money and then their office shut down for a criminal investigation,' Stephanie said. 'Immigration law was rampant with fraud during the late 80s and early 90s, and my parents' next couple attorneys were disbarred. Getting citizenship is difficult, and my parents only had one opportunity to refile paperwork that the initial 'attorney' filed incorrectly.' For the past 25 years, 'my parents were in the court system and appealing for another opportunity due to 'ineffective counsel,' Stephanie said. 'This Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal dismissed the Petition for Review in 2022.' Under US immigration law, those living illegally in the country can take legal steps to avoid removal, according to ICE. 'However, once they have exhausted all due process and appeals, the aliens remain subject to a final order of removal from an immigration judge and ICE must carry out that order,' the agency said. But the couple's daughter and attorney stress the Gonzalezes were treated unfairly during the removal process. 'My parents loved this country, sacrificed all of their money to try to gain citizenship, but were failed by the system,' Stephanie told CNN. 'They should've, at worst, been given the dignity to settle their affairs and fly themselves back to a country they haven't lived in since the 1980s, and not thrown into a detention center that is just another name for a jail, without any knowledge of when they'd be released.' Gladys and Nelson were separated and put in ICE custody for about three weeks, at detention facilities in California, Arizona and Louisiana, according to Crooms. Their deportation was delayed partially because of a government error, she said. 'The Department of Homeland Security lost their passports,' Crooms said. The Colombian government had to provide DHS with travel documents that would allow the couple to be removed, she added. The couple's daughters are still holding out hope their parents will be able to return to the United States one day, Stephanie said. Right now, the family is focused on helping Gladys and Nelson acclimate to life in Colombia. 'We've been able to raise $65,000 to help my parents rebuild their new life in Colombia but also to pay for the best attorneys so that one day they can come back,' she added. The couple can't come back to the United States for at least 10 years because of a 1996 law that says anyone who has been in the country illegally for a year or more, and does not follow an order of voluntary departure, is subject to a bar, Crooms said. 'I think they will be able to come back. I just — I don't foresee that being within the next 10 years,' Crooms said. 'And if there is a serious change to the immigration law, then there's no telling.' Crooms had accompanied the couple to their immigration check-ins every year since 2018, but this year, they didn't ask her to join them. Had they called her, Crooms said, she would have advised them to prepare for departure and get their affairs in order, given the current immigration climate. 'I don't know why they didn't call me. I think they just really felt like everything has been fine in the past,' Crooms said, adding, 'anyone who is on an order of supervision, who has to check in, should anticipate that this is a real possibility for them — that they may be apprehended and removed.' Both illegal immigrants and permanent residents should also exercise extreme caution when traveling, Crooms said. The Trump administration's crackdown on immigration violations will continue to impact people such as Gladys and Nelson, Crooms and Stephanie told CNN, along with minority US citizens and immigrants living legally in the United States. 'The amount of people being detained and put into these places is absolutely heartbreaking and I hope this administration would realize the detrimental affect this will have on so many American families,' Stephanie said. CNN's Alberto Moya and Norma Galeana contributed to this report.
