ORANGE : Layoffs Will Not Affect City’s Plans
City plans for the development of 12,350 acres in East Orange will not be affected by recently announced layoffs by the Irvine Co., a city planner said.
The Irvine Co. said last week that it will lay off 11% of its work force and delay major projects due to the current economic slump. But Vernon Jones, community planner for the city, said that Irvine Co. personnel working on the East Orange project will not be affected by the layoffs.
“They still intend to move ahead with the long-range planning for the East Orange area,” he said.
Construction on the project is not expected to begin for at least 18 months, and company officials have said they hope that the current economic crunch will ease by then.
The first phase of the project, known as the “West Bowl,” is a 1,490-acre area that will include homes and a commercial center.
Architectural and landscape plans for the West Bowl are still in the preliminary stages but plans should be presented to the public early next year, Jones said.
“The city staff is working to achieve a quality product,” Jones said. “We are not concerned that anything the Irvine Co. is going to do will speed up or delay the plan.”
The development in East Orange, projected to be completed in 15 to 20 years, is expected to increase the city’s population by one-third.
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