Costa Mesa’s public safety employees were treated to a free lunchtime barbecue at the OC Fair & Event Center care of the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce that included live music and performances from the Orange Coast College cheerleaders.

About 200 people attended this year’s Public Safety Recognition Barbecue on Thursday Oct. 8, including 90 police, fire and dispatch personnel.

Guests were served up dishes of chicken, tri-tip steak, mashed potatoes, vegetables and salad.

The community and civic leaders in attendance which included City Council Members Katrina Foley and Sandy Genis, OC Fair & Event Center CEO Kathy Kramer, Orange Coast College President Dennis Harkins, Costa Mesa Police Chief Rob Sharpnack and Fire Chief Dan Stefano.

“It was an honor to attend today’s Public Safety Recognition Barbecue,” Chief Sharpnack said. “On behalf of the CMPD staff, I want to thank the Chamber of Commerce for their generosity and others in attendance for their support of public safety personnel. We are proud to serve the Chamber of Commerce membership and look forward to collaborating in the future to make Costa Mesa an even greater city in which to live, work, and visit.”

Chamber of Commerce CEO Eileen Benjamin said the chamber is proud to honor the city’s protectors.

“The men and women of our Fire, Police and Communications departments keep our community safe and are willing to put their lives at risk for us every workday,” said Benjamin, who emceed the event along with Chamber President Tom Johnson.  “This event is a small way to demonstrate our appreciation.  It is wonderful to see many supporters joining together to show gratitude to these fine guardians.  The people of Costa Mesa are inspiring in so many ways.”

.easingslider-3151 { max-width: 640px; }.easingslider-3151 .easingslider-image { max-height: 400px; max-width: 640px; }.easingslider-3151 .easingslider-fade-in, .easingslider-fade-out { -webkit-animation-duration: 400ms; -moz-animation-duration: 400ms; animation-duration: 400ms; }window.EasingSlider3151 = {"width":640,"height":400,"singleItem":true,"items":1,"itemsDesktop":false,"itemsDesktopSmall":false,"itemsTablet":false,"itemsTabletSmall":false,"itemsMobile":false,"responsive":true,"lazyLoad":true,"autoPlay":4000,"slideSpeed":400,"navigation":true,"navigationText":["",""],"pagination":true,"autoHeight":false,"mouseDrag":false,"touchDrag":false,"addClassActive":true,"transitionStyle":"fade"};

In addition to the OC Fair & Event Center donating the venue, the Orange County Marketplace donated the catering and other supporters were Care Ambulance, Harbor Center and ICI Development, Metro Pro Towing and The Triangle. Longtime Chamber Board of Director member Patty Mason was also instrumental in supporting this event, and the music was provided by the Mike Donahue band.

The Costa Mesa Conference and Visitor Bureau announced this week that it has officially changed its name to Travel Costa Mesa, and the organization relocated to a new and updated office across the street from South Coast Plaza.

“We felt it was time to make our name more impactful and recognizable,” said Paulette Lombardi- Fries, President of Travel Costa Mesa. “We wanted to ensure that website visitors and readers who saw our name knew exactly what our purpose was, to inform about and encourage travel to the city of Costa Mesa.”

The official name now matches the website address, www.travelcostamesa.com.

“We’ve also added ‘California’ to our updated logo, to let prospective visitors seeing our marketing programs know we are the official City of the Arts, in the amazing state of California,” said Lombardi-Fries.

Travel Costa Mesa’s new and updated address is 940 South Coast Drive, Suite #265, Costa Mesa, California, 92626. The phone number remains unchanged – 888.588.9417.

Visitors to the city are welcome to visit the new office for additional information about attractions and activities in the city of Costa Mesa.

CityView, a premier investment management and development firm focused on urban multifamily real estate in the Western United States, and Red Oak Investments, an urban redevelopment company active in Los Angeles and Orange County, held a naming ceremony Thursday for Baker Block, their new apartment community located at the corner of Baker and Pullman Streets.

The ceremony for Baker Block featured speeches by Mayor Steve Mensinger, Sean Burton, CEO of CityView,  Henry Cisneros, Founder and Chairman of CityView and the former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Joe Flanagan, Principal and Co-founder of Red Oak Investments.

The attendees were also treated to lunch by the Lime Truck, a popular food truck service.

When completed in mid-2017, Baker Block is expected to feature 240 residential apartments and a six-story above ground parking structure. Planned amenities include a rooftop deck, a fitness center with yoga room, a conference room, a Wi-Fi lounge, a dog park, a dog wash station, a club room with a kitchen, a bike storage and maintenance area, and multiple outdoor spaces with a resort-style pool, BBQ grills and fire pits.

“This is really a cruise ship,” Mayor Mensinger said of the development and its extensive amenities. “But it also means jobs and it means housing and this is where the next generation of Costa Mesa lives. And hopefully they will stay here for life.”

.easingslider-1919 { max-width: 640px; }.easingslider-1919 .easingslider-image { max-height: 400px; max-width: 640px; }.easingslider-1919 .easingslider-fade-in, .easingslider-fade-out { -webkit-animation-duration: 400ms; -moz-animation-duration: 400ms; animation-duration: 400ms; }window.EasingSlider1919 = {"width":640,"height":400,"singleItem":true,"items":1,"itemsDesktop":false,"itemsDesktopSmall":false,"itemsTablet":false,"itemsTabletSmall":false,"itemsMobile":false,"responsive":true,"lazyLoad":true,"autoPlay":4000,"slideSpeed":400,"navigation":true,"navigationText":["",""],"pagination":true,"autoHeight":false,"mouseDrag":false,"touchDrag":false,"addClassActive":true,"transitionStyle":"fade"};

Secretary Cisneros complimented the Costa Mesa city staff and leadership for their hard work in getting this development done.

“We need to keep up with housing of all types,” Cisneros said. “It is immensely foresighted of the leaders of Costa Mesa that they recognize that balance.”

CityView is creating the project along with its development partner, Red Oak Investments. The project sits on a 4.17-acre site previously occupied by an office building. The project is the first of significant scale to be re-zoned for residential use in the area adjacent to the South Bristol Entertainment & Cultural Arts (SoBECA) District, which is commonly known for its low-density office buildings and light manufacturing facilities.

Burton said his company is glad to be in Costa Mesa.

“Orange County is an important market for CityView as it is now entering the redevelopment phase, where obsolete structures are being converted into housing,” said Burton. “These urban infill projects are typically complex, so they are often overlooked by other investors. We are able to overcome these challenges by working with local partners who know the local market better than anyone else. The Red Oak Investments team has been instrumental in bringing Baker Block to fruition, and I thank them for all of their hard work.”

Construction for Baker Block is being led by Johnstone Moyer, Inc., one of the top-10 multifamily builders in California. The building was designed by Architects Orange.

The City of Costa Mesa plans to roll out a brand new alliance between action sports enthusiasts and artists at the upcoming Action Arts in the Park event at TeWinkle Park on Saturday May 14.

The City’s Cultural Arts Committee came up with the idea of fusing the city’s thriving arts community with the equally thriving action sports industry.

“We are excited to transform the traditional Arts in the Park event into something newer and fresher,” said Tracy Taber, a Cultural Arts Committee member. “We want it to be exciting, interactive and full of energy. That’s why we chose TeWinkle Park and the Costa Mesa Skate Park as the backdrop of the event.  We hope that families enjoy a day in the park while appreciating plenty of arts, culture, entertainment and skating.”

Element Skate Brand has signed on as the title sponsor of this unique event and other supporters include the Segerstrom Center for the Arts and Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers.

The free event that runs from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. will include live music from local bands and a DJ.

There will be skateboarding demonstrations, artist exhibits, a rock wall and a mechanical surfboard and interactive art stations.

Families can also visit a kids zone and there will be food trucks offering up a wide variety of cuisines.

The event will also include demonstrations by Costa Mesa-based Operation Clean Slate, which discourages youth from graffiti vandalism and instead involves young people with hands-on activities to channel their talents and improve their community through aerosol art inspired murals.

“Costa Mesa really is a melting pot for all types of art and culture,” said Justin Martin, the city’s Recreation Manager.  “There is something for everyone here and that is what makes the scene here so unique.  The goal of the Action Arts in the Park is to build on the uniqueness that is Costa Mesa art and really highlight why we are the City of the Arts in a whole new way.”

On Tuesday May 3, Mayor Steve Mensinger presented the Mayor’s Award to Tammy Guadagno, the operator of the Chick-Fil-A restaurant on Harbor Boulevard, citing the organization’s strong support for local schools and community groups.

“It’s exciting to see Tammy’s passion for our community and how she has ingrained that into her team of employees,” Mayor Mensinger said. “We are grateful for Chick-Fil-A’s investment in the Costa Mesa community and the positive impact they are having on the local economy.”

Guadagno thanked Costa Mesa and said she gives back so much because the community takes care of her and her employees. In turn, she wants to return the favor and take care of Costa Mesa in any way she can.

“It is one of the best communities I’ve ever been involved in,” she said. “I’ve lived in a lot of places and I’m not going anywhere. Costa Mesa is where I’m staying forever. It’s an amazing city.”

Toyota Motor Sales USA will be lending the City a 2016 Toyota Mirai for a couple of weeks to test drive.

The car has an electric motor powered by hydrogen fuel cells, resulting in a 100-percent-pollution-free vehicle.

The fuel cells produce electricity from the high pressure hydrogen with only water as a byproduct. The 300 horsepower motor moves the car exceptionally quick, without any motor noise or exhaust.

Hydrogen is available locally at the Valero gas station on Harbor Boulevard to retail customers.

Several City departments will be given an opportunity to drive the vehicle for routine City business over the two weeks of the test.

The car will travel over 300 miles per fueling and may be leased by the public in the $400-500 a month range or purchased with State incentives for the mid $40,000’s.

Costa Mesa Mayor Steve Mensinger announced that Tesla Motors, an innovative automotive and energy storage company known for its high-end luxury electric cars, is the winner of the Mayor’s Award presented at the Tuesday April 5 City Council meeting.

Accepting the award on behalf of the company was Tesla Store Manager Peter Najera and Service Manager Joe Estrada.

“We are deeply honored and this is a wonderful and amazing thing that you have done for us,” Najera said. “We are thrilled to be here in Costa Mesa. It’s a perfect location.”

Costa Mesa is not only one of five Tesla sales locations in the county, but is also home to one of only two Tesla service centers in the county.

Tesla forgoes the typical dealership model that dominates the business, and instead sells cars directly to their customers through company owned stores or galleries, which are usually located in shopping malls.

For years, Tesla operated locally out of a 10,000-square-foot facility on Pullman Street in Costa Mesa, adjacent to the 55 freeway.  Nearly a year and a half ago they expanded their operation to also include a 27,000 square foot facility just down the street.

The new facility serves as a state of the art service center, complete with 26 service bays, two alignment bays, a detail center and car wash area in two buildings.

A typical day finds six service advisors and 20 service technicians servicing 30-35 vehicles per day, making the Costa Mesa location the number one Tesla Service center in terms of volume in the entire nation.

Costa Mesa Mayor Steve Mensinger, Mayor Pro-Tem Jim Righeimer and Council Member Gary Monahan are partnering with churches and local groups to help revive local neighborhoods throughout the city at the upcoming Neighbors Helping Neighbors event on Saturday April 23, 2016.

Volunteers have identified a number of properties in need of repair and and have begun the prep work for painting. But organizers are looking for at least one more property to help revive.

Also, more funding and additional volunteers are needed. If you know of a property in need of TLC or would like to help out out just email cm.cool@costamesaca.gov or call 714-754-5156.

To celebrate its soon-to-be-constructed 250-unit luxury appartment building, executives from Legacy Partners joined together with city and business leaders on Thursday Feb. 18 for a mid-morning Groundbreaking Ceremony at the 580 Anton Blvd. South Coast Metro location.

Standing in front of the active construction site complete with bulldozers, Timothy O’Brien, the managing director of Legacy Partners hailed the virtues of this new project and all it stands to offer the residents who will live within walking distance of world-class dining, shopping and entertainment.

“We set out to design something that is timeless, classic and beautiful,” O’Brien said. “This is a fantastic place to develop a project.”

O’Brien, a lifelong Costa Mesa resident who attended Estancia High School, also complimented the city employees who assisted him in getting this project approved,  and he even went as far as calling Costa Mesa’s staff the best in the state.

Costa Mesa Mayor Steve Mensinger and Councilwoman Sandy Genis also attended the event and heaped praise on the project and what it will mean to Costa Mesa.

“This project stands to create tens of thousands of jobs,” Mensinger said.

When complete, the building will yield more than 200,000 square feet of rentable space, which will have luxury amenities and appliances as well as a fully fitted clubhouse, a concierge entry, a dog-wash station, a fitness center with a lake view, a wine bar and much more.

Legacy Partners, a privately held real estate firm based in San Francisco, acquired the former retail center in May of 2015 in a joint venture with Prudential Real Estate Investors. The development is set to complete by fall of 2017.