Emulex to ask for OK of a home on Ranch
Lolita Harper
Emulex officials are looking formally to claim their future piece
of the lima bean fields just north of the San Diego freeway as they
ask the City Council to endorse official building plans for their new
headquarters tonight.
The City Council will review plans for the 14.5-acre industrial
portion of the massive Home Ranch development, which was the focus of
months of bitter, heated debate a year ago.
Emulex, which specializes in technology components that allow
computers to store growing amounts of data, will present its master
plan, which calls for a campus-like corporate command center on the
northwest portion of the Home Ranch site. Proposed designs include
three two-story buildings, totaling 181,735 square feet, and will
give the growing, booming company enough room to house its engineers
and laboratories in one building, instead of the four buildings where
they are now spread out, Emulex President Paul Folino has said.
Costa Mesa-based Emulex had outgrown its current home at Harbor
Gateway and in April solidified its move to the Segerstrom-owned land
bordered by Susan Street, Harbor Boulevard and South Coast Drive.
Councilwoman Libby Cowan said she was pleased the Home Ranch
development could offer a site that catered to Emulex’s growth.
Instead of losing jobs, the city will actually gain them, as Emulex
officials have outlined an optimistic outlook for growth.
“I am and have been thrilled that Emulex would stay in Costa Mesa
and find a way to build the facility it needs to build,” Cowan said.
“It is a wonderful corporate citizen.”
Although the Home Ranch project garnered a slue of public outcry
when the 93-acre development was considered for approval last year,
Cowan said she expects a quiet meeting. The plan is relatively
straight-forward and falls in line with all the conditions hammered
out during previous negotiations.
Other major components of the Home Ranch project include a
flag-ship Ikea store, 143 new homes and a mix of retail and office
space.
* LOLITA HARPER covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)
574-4275 or by e-mail at lolita.harper@latimes.com.
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