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.