Irvine Co. Will Build in Newport Center

The Irvine Co., which has announced its plans for a large office building near UC Irvine, also will build a couple of smaller office buildings closer to the coast. It is drawing up plans for a couple of two-story office buildings in swank Newport Center, where rents have jumped dramatically in recent years. Construction could start later this year, said Bill Halford, vice president of the Irvine Office Co., a unit of the Irvine Co.

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Melinda Fulmer covers real estate for The Times. She can be reached at (714) 966-7832.