� � � CONEJO VALLEY � SIMI VALLEY � SAN FERNANDO � CALABASAS � AGOURA HILLS � ANTELOPE VALLEY

T H E C O M M U N I T Y O F B U S I N E S S

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$1.50 VOL. 38 NO. 18 MAY 4-10, 2015

� � � CONEJO VALLEY � SIMI VALLEY � SAN FERNANDO � CALABASAS � AGOURA HILLS � ANTELOPE VALLEY

ORANGE COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL

An apartment complex that overlooks NewportHarbor has traded hands at one of the higher per-unit prices recently seen among rental properties inOrange County.The 64-unit Waterfront in Newport Beach, which

is located on Bayside Drive, sold in late April forabout $25.5 million.About 70% of the units have water views. No-

table amenities at the complex include 34 boat slips,a private beach, saltwater pool, bocce ball court anda fitness center.Newport Beach-based real estate investor Way-

point Property Group bought the complex in aventure with Rialto Capital Management ofMiami. BT Real Estate Group, a Los Angeles-based in-

vestor, sold the complex, which is across the street

Rebound CoversWaterfront in NBREAL ESTATE: Bayside complexwith land lease gets $400,000 per unit

�Waterfront 47

�OCVA 13

Add real estate needs to the list of mysteries sur-rounding the second iteration of Fisker Automo-tive Inc.The maker of luxury hybrid sports cars, more

than a year removed from a well-publicized stint inbankruptcy, is ramping up plans to expand its localpresence, with a return to its former headquartersin Anaheim in the works, according to real estatesources.The sources said the company also is looking into �Fisker 42

Fisker Back to Anaheim?New Office Likely, Manufacturing in IE Possible

A number of local tourismgroups are backing OCTravel PAC, a new politicalaction committee that willaim to influence elected offi-cials and candidates at thecounty level on hospitalityand travel issues. The PAC is set to be for-

mally announced at the Or-ange County VisitorsAssociation’s annual tourismconference at Disney’sGrand California Hotel & Spa in Anaheim onMay 6.Irvine-based OCVA bills itself as “the official

OC HospitalityExecs’ New Role:Leaders of PACTOURISM: Focus on county politicsgrows from OCVA strategic plan

By PAUL HUGHES

INSIDE

Executive Diningpage 8

OC Data Drillpage 49

Mitsubishi TapsAlly Financial

page 6

page 15

Character Countspage 12

ocbj.com

By MARK MUELLER

Four-acre site: 64-unit apartment complex amongpriciest rentals in Newport Beach

Costa Mesa-based Rutan & Tucker LLP wasjust one of the law firms in several Californiamarkets recruiting Bill Meehan 10 years ago.It wasn’t an early favorite.The Boston Uni-

versity School ofLaw grad and hiswife liked Orange County, he recalls, but thoughtthey would have to sacrifice some activities theyenjoyed—nights at the theater, for example—ifthey chose to live here. The couple wondered what Orange County

had to offer besides the beach and Disneyland. Then Meehan discovered the Segerstrom

Center for the Arts.“It was amazing,” he says. “Even better on the �Arts 48

Segerstrom Center Cultural Keystone, More in Marketplace

By MARK MUELLER

By KIM HAMAN

Cosmopolitan Calling Card

inside than it was on theoutside.”Meehan says the center

was a major reason he de-cided to move his youngfamily here. He’s been withRutan & Tucker ever sinceand now serves as execu-tive committee chairman ofthe Segerstrom Center’sRising Leaders Council.He also brings to the arts

campus young lawyers hewants to recruit to showthem all of the aspects thatimpressed him a decadeago.

Higby: recent chairsays business rela-tionships increas-ingly “formed over ameal and coming tothe center here toenjoy a show to-gether”

Beyond Work

Fuller: group “wantsleaders here to bepart and parcel oftourism”

the possibility of leasing a large industrial facilityin the Inland Empire—presumably for manufactur-ing—for its rebooted operations.The real estate moves come in a month heavy on

buzz but few details about the automotive com-pany, which now operates under the Fisker Auto-motive and Technologies Group LLC name andis based in Costa Mesa.The company, maker of the Karma luxury sedan,

has for several weeks been teasing on its websitenews of a major initiative, saying an unveiling was

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MAY 4, 2015 Local breaking news: www.ocbj.com ORANGE COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL 13

� from page 1OCVAvoice for tourism in the county advocating onbehalf of the industry and marketing the re-gion both domestically and globally.”

StrategicThe political action committee was “born

out of a strategic plan developed byOCVA” but will be legally and financiallyseparate from the groups supporting it, saidChairman Gary Sherwin, adding that “ithas its own board and its own bank ac-count.”

The board includes:� Sherwin, president and chief executive

of Newport Beach & Co.;� Kyndell Thorson, manager of govern-

ment relations for Disneyland Resort;� Tyler Gentry, government affairs

manager at the Irvine Chamber of Com-merce;

� Jay Burress, president and chief exec-utive of the Anaheim/Orange County Vis-itor & Convention Bureau;

� Kelly Miller, president and chief exec-utive of Visit Huntington Beach; and

� Ed Fuller, president and chief execu-tive of the Orange County Visitors Asso-ciation.Judy Bijlani, past president and chief

executive of Visit Laguna Beach, is thePAC’s executive director.

Fuller said the new group plans to keep atight focus on policy and politics at thecounty level.

“We’re not headed out there to changeWashington,” Fuller said. “We want leadershere to be part and parcel of tourism.”

VitalThe PAC is needed to supplement the

marketing done by various local hospitalityand tourism groups,Sherwin said.“Tourism assets” suchas John Wayne Air-port and the indus-try’s importance toOC’s economy call foremphasis on thecounty level of gov-ernment.

Market researchfrom OCVA indicatesthat some 46 millionpeople visited Orange

County in 2014, up about 4% from 2013. About 10%—4.7 million passenger ar-

rivals—came through John Wayne Airport,OCVA said.

Just less than 10% of the total—4.1 mil-lion people—were international travelers,data show.

OCVA said there are about 493,000“tourism-related” jobs in Orange County.

Selling Orange County “as a regionmakes sense—people understand it,” saidSherwin. “We can’t delegate marketing toDisneyland.”

The PAC wants to apply similar logic tocounty politics.

“This is about coming together as a re-gion, to remain competitive and strong as adestination,” Sherwin said.

LocalOC Travel PAC plans to raise money

mainly through fundraising dinners andother events, he said.

“We have relatively modest financial as-pirations.”

A number of industry PACs already workto influence legislators’ decisions at thestate and federal levels. Michael Jacobson directs the national

political action committee of the U.S.

Travel Association, a Washington, D.C.-based national trade association for thetravel and tourism industry.

The association’s members include ho-tels, cruise lines, car rental companies, on-line travel agencies, state tourism offices,and destination marketing associations, in-cluding the Anaheim/OC Visitor & Con-vention Bureau.

The association’s PAC supports congres-sional candidates, similar to how the newlocal group plans to support county hope-fuls.

OC Travel PAC is the only one Jacobsonhas heard of that’s county-focused.

“It’s kind of a unique setup,” he said. Jacobson said that the the new group is

important.“It’s a way to guarantee [legislators] get

re-elected and continue to supporttourism,” he said. “If you’re not at thetable, you’re on the menu.” �

Sherwin: “can’t dele-gate marketing toDisneyland”

Grand Californian: site of travel conference where political action committee focused on OCtravel and tourism is set to launch

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